Some Congress members had threatened to oppose the re-appointment of Joshi as chairman. Now they would have to swallow their anger and accept the Speaker’s directive in the matter.
The BJP was, of course, pleased with the decision. Party spokesman Rajiv Pratap Rudy expressed gratitude to the Speaker.BJP MP Maneka Gandhi told DNA the Speaker had taken the right decision. She saw no problem with regard to the PAC report on spectrum, implying that the Speaker would accept it.
The Congress was reticent. A Congress member of the PAC, who was in the last one and who has been re-elected to the committee for another term said, “It is the Speaker’s prerogative. There is nothing to be said about it.” On the fate of the report, he said that the decision lies with the Speaker.
Kumar’s decision makes the situation intriguing. She would now have to decide on the PAC report on 2G scam Joshi sent to her on Saturday. The report was fiercely contested by Congress, DMK, SP and BSP members of the panel. But many MPs DNA spoke to were not sure if the Speaker could send the report to the PAC, or she if she forward it to the House.
Chairman of Committee of Privileges in Lok Sabha Kishore Chandra Deo (Congress) said that according to Rule 71 A of the procedures of the working of the committees, the Speaker has the prerogative to return a report to a parliamentary committee if there was a constitutional irregularity, which has not happened so far.
