BJP using ‘intemperate language’ against PM: Sibal

He was responding to BJP leader Arun Jaitley’s comments that breaking of silence by the Prime Minister on the 2G spectrum scam was welcome but he cannot choose the forum of his “inquiry”.

While Singh offered to appear before the PAC,he ruled out a JPC to look into the 2G spectrum scam.

Sibal said in India’s history there had been no other Prime Minister who was “so open,upfront and honest” despite the “pure politics” being played by BJP.

He claimed that BJP did not even trust the PAC which was headed by its own leader.

“This is the level of arrogance which I have never seen before. They do not trust their own senior leader Murli Manohar Josh,who is heading the PAC. Whom will they trust then?” Sibal asked,adding that he did not expect such an “intemperate response” from the party.

Democracy does not function by disrupting Parliament,he maintained.

Sibal insisted that the BJP should look within before levelling charges of corruption against the Congress.

“I wonder if the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha (Arun Jaitley) has looked inward at his own conscience and ever asked himself this question as to the record of the BJP on corruption in the past,” he said.

The eminent lawyer said several scams had taken place during the BJP-NDA regime and enumerated the Tehelka sting operation which saw the government setting up a Commission to “prosecute” Tehelka owner tarun Tejpal,BJP President Bangaru Laxman being caught on camera accepting a bribe,allotment of prime land to RSS associates and the Judeo tapes.

He sought to know the BJP’s stand on Karnataka where Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa is facing charges of land grab.

He also alleged that the erstwhile NDA government tried to remove the name of senior BJP leader L K Advani from a chargesheet.

“In Congress history,nobody who has been chargesheeted has been a Prime Ministerial candidate,” Sibal said.

“I request the BJP to look inward,do some brainstorming. Corruption is not a one-party issue. As Sonia Gandhi has said,it is a big problem…. Congress will not spare anyone found guilty,however high his post maybe,” the minister added.

Drawing a parallel with cricketer Sachin Tendulkar,Sibal said achievers like him are full of modesty while “NDA is immodest though it has always failed”.