Thrissur: JPC Chairman PC Chacko has said it will be "unconstitutional" to summon former Telecom Minister A Raja, prime accused in the 2G spectrum case, before the Joint Parliamentary Committee to take evidence, as it would be an "infringement" of Article 20 of the Constitution.
"Article 20 (iii) of the Constitution clearly states no person accused of any offence shall be compelled to be a witness against himself," Chacko said.
Raja is an accused in the case and the trial was on, he told reporters in Thrissur on Tuesday.
Chacko said the demand of the opposition members in the JPC for removal of its chairman was "quite baseless" as it was against the rules of the JPC's functioning. He described the opposition demand for his removal as Chairman and calling Raja before the JPC as "political stunt"....
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01:26 AM, May 16, 2013
New Delhi: Former corporate lobbyist Niira Radia, a key prosecution witness in the 2G spectrum allocation scam, is likely to appear before a Delhi court on May 28 to depose in the case. The CBI on Thursday submitted before Special CBI Judge OP Saini its list of prosecution witnesses to be called for recording of their statements before the court and Radia's evidence is slated for May 28. Radia, who...
05:25 PM, May 09, 2013
New Delhi: Differences have reportedly cropped up between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi with the latter wanting the Prime Minister to address media on all issues plaguing the government, sources say. But Manmohan Singh is not keen to talk to the media on any of the corruption allegations including 2G spectrum scam, Railway Board bribery and Railway Protection Force officers transfer and posting scandal and the...
06:32 PM, May 07, 2013
New Delhi: The Lok Sabha has approved the extension of the term of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on 2G scam till the end of Monsoon Session. The Monsoon Session is likely to begin around July 23. Facing a combined Opposition and allegations of bias, the chairman of JPC, PC Chacko had held informal consultation with the members. Sources say the BJP had agreed for an extension. The tenure of the...
03:19 PM, May 06, 2013
New Delhi: Chairman of the joint Parliamentary Committee on the 2G scam PC Chacko is likely to move a resolution in the Lok Sabha seeking extension of the JPC beyond the Budget Session. Sources say that the BJP has agreed to the extension of the JPC beyond May 10. After Lok Sahba Speaker Meira Kumar expressed her inability to remove him as JPC Chairman as demanded by 15 opposition members...
02:30 PM, May 06, 2013
New Delhi: Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy on Saturday moved a special CBI court seeking summoning of a written statement given by former Telecom Minister A Raja to Joint Parliamentary Committee in connection with the 2G spectrum scam. In his application filed before Special CBI Judge OP Saini, Swamy said that "in order to ensure that all aspects of the case are examined, actual culprits may be booked, tried and...
06:42 PM, May 04, 2013
New Delhi: Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar on Thursday rejected the Opposition demand for removal of PC Chacko as Chairman of the JPC probing the 2G scam, citing "absence of express provisions in rules". In a letter to JPC members, Kumar said rules and directions are "silent" on the removal of the chairman of a parliamentary committee and urged the Chairman and the members of the JPC to work out...
02:36 PM, May 02, 2013
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday decided to take cognizance of the case of CBI keeping a scribe in the dark for 20 months about the closure of preliminary inquiry against him for allegedly trying to influence the Enforcement Directorate's probe in the 2G spectrum allocation scam. "We will take cognizance of it," a bench comprising justices GS Singhvi and KS Radhakrishnan said after senior advoacte Ram Jethmalani showed...
08:50 PM, May 01, 2013
New Delhi: Amid demands by opposition members for the outright rejection of the draft report on 2G, JPC Chairman PC Chacko on Monday said he was ready to take their amendments in the form of dissent notes but would not change the text of the documents. "I am willing for a detailed discussion on each of the (10) chapters. The text cannot be changed. The opposition's amendments can be in...
04:40 PM, Apr 29, 2013
New Delhi: 2.04 pm: Both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha have been adjourned for the day. 12.19 pm: The all-party meet called by Meira Kumar ends. 12.19 pm: Lok Sabha adjourned till 2 pm after uproar over demand for PM's resignation over coal scam. 12.09 pm: "I have been saying that China is preparing to capture Indian territory on the border but the government and the Chair has...
11:39 AM, Apr 29, 2013
New Delhi: A Parliament deadlocked yet again over corruption scandals threatens Finance Minister P Chidambaram's ambitious reform agenda, dealing a harsh dose of political reality on the heels of his North American roadshow to sell the India story. Two long-stalled reforms - one to lift the foreign ownership cap in insurers to 49 per cent from 26 per cent and another that would simplify land acquisition for factories - were...
08:38 AM, Apr 29, 2013
New Delhi: Parliament will resume on Monday after a wasted week that saw adjournments and uproar over various issues such as 2G scam, coal scam and the Delhi minor rape. The opposition, however, is still not in a mood to relent and is all set to attack the government over the coal scam yet again. In a bid to break the deadlock, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath is likely to...
07:56 AM, Apr 29, 2013
Bangalore: BJP's star campaigner and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday made a virulent attack on the Congress, especially on its vice president Rahul Gandhi, who he termed "a child born with a golden spoon", asking people never to vote for the party. "Even by mistake don't vote for the Congress as it will ruin Karnataka and the country. Say goodbye to the Congress by voting for our party's...
04:41 AM, Apr 29, 2013
New Delhi: The main Opposition the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will launch an agitation against the government in all state capitals on May 4 and 5, attacking the UPA regime on various issues such as the 2G scam and the coal scam. "BJP has decided to take the fight against the massive cover up of Congress regime from Parliament to the people of country. On May 4 and 5, we...
12:07 PM, Apr 28, 2013
PC Chacko, who is the chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee, which is examining the alleged irregularities in the allocation of the 2G spectrum, has alleged that the political parties which are seeking his resignation are playing a political game. Chacko was speaking to Karan Thapar on Devil's Advocate. ...
08:26 AM, Apr 27, 2013
New Delhi: In a bid to end the confrontation in JPC, its Chairman P C Chacko, under opposition fire, on Friday expressed willingness to consider amendments to the controversial draft report on 2G spectrum scam which gave a clean chit to the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister. Chacko told PTI that any amendment could be considered if the opposition members convince him through discussion about any wrong thing in...
07:40 PM, Apr 26, 2013
The Chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on 2G scam and Congress MP, PC Chacko, has hit out at the Opposition for asking the Speaker to sack him. Speaking to Karan Thapar on Devil's Advocate, he charged them with playing a political game by going to the Speaker with their demand rather than asking him for his resignation. Following is an excerpt from the interview: Karan Thapar: 15 members of...
03:50 PM, Apr 26, 2013
As the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on 2G scam stays divided with opposition members asking for PC Chacko's resignation, former telecom minister A Raja insists he should be allowed to depose. ...
09:43 AM, Apr 26, 2013
New Delhi: Expressing no-confidence in PC Chacko as Chairman of JPC, against whom 15 members of the 30-member Committee have represented to the Speaker for his removal, the BJP on Thursday said he has no right to preside over the panel in such circumstances. The opposition party cited Constitutional provisions under Articles 91 and 92 when a no-confidence against the Chairman of Rajya Sabha or the Speaker has been expressed...
08:59 PM, Apr 25, 2013
New Delhi: As the Opposition prepared to scuttle the JPC report on 2G spectrum scam, the government on Thursday expressed confidence that the members will exercise their correct judgement irrespective of their party affiliation. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath's reaction came when asked about the Opposition parties' move to corner JPC Chairman PC Chacko over clean chit to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in its report on the 2G scam. "There...
05:33 PM, Apr 25, 2013
