NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's offer to face the Public Accounts Committee over spectrum scam appears to be a last-minute idea to rebuff the perception about UPA being mired in corruption, after Sonia Gandhi made a strong pitch for probity at the plenary on Sunday.
After the PM created a buzz with his PAC offer, there was speculation that it was an idea which struck late. The offer for PAC came in the 8th paragraph of the PM's speech but it was not part of the original text. In fact, it was stapled to the written text in a separate paper with a different font and print. It led to discussions among partymen and media.
As political moves go, it is a shrewd one, if late. Sonia's direction to chief ministers and ministers to give up their discretionary powers a day earlier drew appreciation and wide media coverage.
Following it up with the PM's offer to appear before PAC may only add to the strong Congress attempt to send out a message that its top leadership was open to scrutiny. Party delegates from across the country reacted positively to the PM's speech, with AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh saying it was a masterstroke which would take the winds out of the BJP's sails. The BJP-led Opposition is to launch its anti-corruption campaign from December 22.
The move will also question the Opposition's argument that UPA was opposed to JPC to save the PM from being summoned. JPC has powers to summon anyone which PAC cannot do.
After the PM created a buzz with his PAC offer, there was speculation that it was an idea which struck late. The offer for PAC came in the 8th paragraph of the PM's speech but it was not part of the original text. In fact, it was stapled to the written text in a separate paper with a different font and print. It led to discussions among partymen and media.
As political moves go, it is a shrewd one, if late. Sonia's direction to chief ministers and ministers to give up their discretionary powers a day earlier drew appreciation and wide media coverage.
Following it up with the PM's offer to appear before PAC may only add to the strong Congress attempt to send out a message that its top leadership was open to scrutiny. Party delegates from across the country reacted positively to the PM's speech, with AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh saying it was a masterstroke which would take the winds out of the BJP's sails. The BJP-led Opposition is to launch its anti-corruption campaign from December 22.
The move will also question the Opposition's argument that UPA was opposed to JPC to save the PM from being summoned. JPC has powers to summon anyone which PAC cannot do.
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