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: 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: The Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on 2G scam is likely to meet on Tuesday to decide on the "future course of action" amid possibility of it seeking a fresh extension of tenure to adopt the controversial draft report. After Lok Sahba Speaker Meira Kumar expressed her inability to remove him as JPC Chairman as demanded by 15 opposition members of the committee, PC Chacko has started contacting members...
07:55 PM, May 03, 2013
New Delhi: As the deadlock in Parliament continues, Joint Parliamentary Committee Chairperson PC Chacko has said that the government is not stubborn, but too soft on the Opposition. He said that the date for the meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Committee meeting on the 2G scam will be decided on Monday. Speaking to CNN-IBN, Chacko also said there is no provision to remove the JPC Chairman. This came as Opposition...
11:29 AM, Apr 29, 2013
JPC Chairman PC Chacko, whose removal has been sought by some panel members, said he would have considered resigning if the demand had come to him directly instead of Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar being approached for his ouster. Chacko was speaking to Karan Thapar on Devil's Advocate. Here is the full transcript of the interview: Karan Thapar: Hello and welcome to Devil's Advocate and in an interview with embattled...
09:16 PM, Apr 28, 2013
New Delhi: JPC Chairman PC Chacko, whose removal has been sought by some panel members, says he would have considered resigning if the demand had come to him directly instead of Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar being approached for his ouster. "If they had come and told me 'you resign', then I would have thought of that. But they did not demand. They met the Speaker seeking my removal. I...
10:47 AM, Apr 28, 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: The Joint Parliamentary Committee meeting on the 2G scam that was scheduled for Thursday has been postponed. JPC Chairperson PC Chacko said that the next date of the meeting will be finalised after consulting other members. The meeting is likely to take place next week, Chacko said. This came after the Lok Sabha was adjourned following a request from MPs to mourn the death of Trinamool Lok Sabha...
11:58 AM, Apr 25, 2013
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has trashed the draft JPC report on the 2G spectrum case and will most likely present its own report on the probe panel's findings, sources said on Tuesday. The sources said that the main opposition party will seek rejection of the draft report. The JPC is expected to meet on Thursday to consider the draft report. Speaking to reporters, BJP leader Yashwant Sinha...
06:46 PM, Apr 23, 2013
New Delhi: The DMK on Monday sought the removal of PC Chacko as chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee examining the 2G spectrum allocation, alleging that he had leaked the panel's draft report to the media. DMK leader TR Baalu said he had given a notice of breach of parliamentary privilege against Chacko over the leakage of the JPC draft report. "We have given privilege notice to Lok Sabha Speaker...
02:50 PM, Apr 22, 2013
Chennai: DMK members of the joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probing the allocation and pricing of 2G spectrum have readied their dissent note to the panel's draft report, said the party's parliamentary leader TR Baalu. He said the party would also demand the removal of PC Chacko as the JPC's chairman. "We have prepared a dissent note. Even though it is only a draft JPC report, we have readied our dissent...
11:50 AM, Apr 22, 2013
New Delhi: Former telecom minister A Raja accused in the 2G scam has said that he took all decisions in the spectrum allocation in consultation with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Responding to the Joint Parliamentary Committee clean chit to Manmohan Singh and then finance minister P Chidambaram, Raja said he will send a detailed report to the JPC. "I did everything in consultation with the Prime Minister. I have full...
01:46 PM, Apr 19, 2013
New Delhi: The Joint Parliamentary Committee on the 2G spectrum scam on Thursday gave a clean chit to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P Chidambaram, saying that the duo was not informed of the change in policy by the then telecom minister A Raja. The JPC report said that the 2G spectrum was allocated on 'first come, first serve' policy and that norms were tweaked to favour a...
08:06 PM, Apr 18, 2013
New Delhi: Responding to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's rejection of BJP's demand that he appear before the JPC in 2G spectrum allocation case, the opposition on Wednesday said if he has nothing to hide and since he had offered to depose before the PAC, he should not shy away from the panel. "The Prime Minister had earlier written to Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chairperson Murli Manohar Joshi that he is...
07:59 PM, Apr 03, 2013
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has rejected Bharatiya Janata Party leader Yashwant Sinha's demand that he must appear before the Joint Parliamentary Committee in the 2G scam case. The Prime Minister has also rejected Yashwant Sinha's allegations against him in the case. ...
03:33 PM, Apr 03, 2013
Joint Parliamentary Committee Chairman PC Chacko has hit back at Bharatiya Janata Party leader for his letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the 2G scam. Chacko has said, "Yashwant Sinha's letter to the Prime Minister is a political stunt and against norms." ...
02:07 PM, Apr 02, 2013
The Bharatiya Janata Party has hit out at 2G Joint Parliamentary Committee Chairman PC Chacko again for not calling former telecom minister A Raja to depose. BJP leader Yashwant Sinha has demanded that former telecom minister A Raja be called to depose as he is equally culpable as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P Chidambaram in the 2G case. ...
12:32 PM, Apr 02, 2013
Former telecom minister A Raja has defended the Telecom Ministry's decision to bypass the Law Ministry in seeking legal opinion of the then Solicitor General GE Vahanvati directly on 2G issue saying it was "perfectly permissible" to approach the law officer in certain cases. Raja told the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on 2G issue that it is "perfectly permissible" for a government department to seek the opinion of a law...
12:01 PM, Mar 31, 2013
