Arun Jaitley targets UPA government

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Arun Jaitley on Tuesday slammed the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government for ?failing? to control corruption in its regime.

“I have serious reservations about the ability, motivations and incentives in fighting corruption…I have serious doubts about the propriety and integrity of this government…this is governance at its worst leading to cynical public opinion,” said Jaitley in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

“This government can’t control prices, is ineffective at decision-making, and is failing to provide honest governance,” said the Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha.

Jaitley said there is a ?trust deficit? between the governing and the governed.

“Home Minister P Chidambaram said at the World Economic Forum at Davos that there is a governance deficit….but there is a trust deficit between those who govern and the rest of the country.

?There also seems to be a trust deficit between the party in power and the government in power. There is a leadership deficit. There is a serious competence deficit,” he said.

However, the BJP welcomed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh?s move on announcing a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the 2G spectrum allocation scam.

BJP leader Sushma Swaraj thanked the PM for his decision.

?I thank the Prime Minister for announcing a JPC into the 2G spectrum scam. It is not a question of who has won or lost…It is a victory of democracy,? said the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.

“It is the beauty of Indian democracy, that even in the difficult circumstances, we sit down and find the way. This time, it took some more time,” she said.

“I would like to tell Parliamentarians, let’s drop the victory celebrations. We will start proceedings,” said Swaraj.

Singh on Tuesday announced setting up of a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to probe the 2G spectrum allocation.

?On account of the controversy relating to the allocation of 2G spectrum, the precious Winter Session of Parliament was lost. Our country can ill-afford a situation where Parliament is paralyzed and important legislative business is not allowed to be considered. In paralyzing Parliament, I believe, we all do disservice to those who have elected us,? said the PM in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

Singh said: ?Our Government is committed to root out corruption and has acted expeditiously and transparently in this direction. A CBI investigation into the allocation of 2G spectrum is being supervised by the Supreme Court. Also, the Public Accounts Committee of Parliament is seized of the matter and the Government is fully cooperating with it.

?We also have the report of the Independent Inquiry Committee set up under the Chairmanship of Justice Shivraj Patil, which is in the public domain. The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology has also acted with expedition.?

The Prime Minister said the UPA government failed to convince the Opposition not to insist on a JPC.

?Our Government believed that as all effective steps were being taken, we might have been able to persuade the Opposition not to insist on a JPC. We could not succeed inspite of our sincere efforts. We can ill-afford a situation where Parliament is not allowed to function during the crucial Budget Session.?

?It is in these special circumstances that our Government agrees to the setting up of a Joint Parliamentary Committee,? said Singh.

?We are a functioning democracy and must strive to resolve our differences in a spirit of accommodation and collaboration not confrontation. This, I hope, will renew our confidence in India’s forward march.

?I am, therefore, requesting the Honourable Speaker to proceed with the formation of a Joint Parliamentary Committee. A formal motion in this regard will be moved soon,? he said in the Lok Sabha.

The Congerss-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government on Sunday agreed to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the 2G spectrum scam, ending months of uncertainly over the demand by the Opposition that saw the Parliament deadlocked in the winter session.

The consensus was arrived at an all party meeting convened by Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar here in which the government acceded to the demand of the opposition.

The 2G spectrum allocation scam saw many political and corporate heads rolling as the government’s auditor, the CAG, pegged the losses of the allocation of the licences at Rs 1.76 lakh crore.

Former Telecom Minister A Raja, who is from the DMK party, had to resign over the scam and he is now in jail after a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) nailed him.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Bansal said the JPC is likely to have 30 members- 20 from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha.

Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned sine die on Dec 13 last year as the Winter Session of the Parliament concluded without any substantial business being transacted as the Opposition stalled proceedings for 22 successive working days over a demand for JPC probe into the 2G Spectrum scam, while the government refused to oblige.

A CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General) report had held former Telecom Minister A Raja ?personally responsible? for costing the national exchequer a loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore through ?illogical? sale of 2G telecom spectrum in 2008.