In a bid both to pacify A Raja as also to play safe, JPC Chairman PC Chacko has asked the angry former Telecom Minister to give a written submission on his stand on the 2G issue and decided against calling him as a witness before the panel.
Sources in the JPC said that panel Chairman PC Chacko had intimated Raja on Thursday on this regard and advised him to file his rebuttal note on the statement of Attorney General GE Vahanvati.
Raja’s demand for calling him as a witness had created panic in the Congress, as it was expected that he would blame Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P Chidambaram. In the 2G special court, Raja’s statement on getting concurrence from PM and FM had created huge embarrassment to Congress.
In his deposition, Vahanvati had put the entire blame on Raja. Recently, Raja had locked horns with Vahanvati during the trial in the 2G court, accusing the top legal officer as a liar. Raja then wrote a letter to lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar demanding his deposition in the JPC as a witness.
Raja’s note could form part of the JPC proceedings after being circulated to members.
Chacko is apparently against calling Raja as a witness. He has told members that as an accused Raja has legal protection and cannot make fresh revelations before any committee. Therefore, there was no point in calling Raja.
However, BJP leader Yashwant Sinha has already demanded a meeting of JPC to consider Raja’s request for deposing as a witness.