By IANS,
Kolkata: Senior Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Gurudas Dasgupta Saturday said his party was against parliament’s budget session being stalled over the demand for a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into the 2G telecom scam.
“We want parliament to run. Parliament should not be held up. But that does not mean that we are moving away or withdrawing our demand for a JPC probe. But holding up parliament on one demand is wrong,” he said.
“Today the most important issue is economic policies and price rise. Parliament must discuss these issues. Stalling of parliament should not continue,” Dasgupta told reporters on the sidelines of a rally here.
The opposition has been relentlessly demanding setting up of a JPC to probe the irregularities in the allocation of the 2G-telecom spectrum in 2008. The government has rejected the demand. This led to the entire Nov 9-Dec 13, 2010 winter session of parliament being washed out.
Dasgupta also took a dig at the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government for failing to control the price rise and its inability to act against corruption. He even demanded that the prime minister should resign as he has failed to perform.
“The cost of onions has touched Rs.80. The cost of each and every essential has increased to a large extent and the government is turning a blind eye to this. They are not bothered about poor man. They are only interested in making rich richer,” said Dasgupta.
“I had written to prime minister in 2008 about irregularities in telecom but he did not act. Then I must say that this Manmohan Singh government is a government which helps thieves,” alleged Dasgupta.
The opposition has attacked UPA-II for several alleged scams including those related to the Adarsh Society, Commonwealth Games and the award of 2G spectrum, which critics say had resulted in a notional loss of thousands of crores of rupees to the exchequer.
“This government seems unmoved even after so much of protests. They don’t hear the cries of poor man. It is a government of the rich and the industrialists. It’s better that this government leaves. And the prime minister should resign as he has failed to perform,” said Dasgupta.