NEW DELHI: Faced with the embarrassing prospect of several ministers and senior bureaucrats names cropping up in Parliament in connection with the stock market Scam the Congress is learned to have decided to try to block all discussion on the scam and the JPC (Joint Parliamentary Committee) in the winter session began on Nov.24.

This would be done on the grounds that no reference to the two can be allowed in Parliament as the JPC is already inquiring into it All questions relating to the multi-crore scam are likely to be answered with a bland “The JPC is inquiring into the matter.”

It may be recalled that the names of several Congress heavy-weights have cropped up during the JPCs interrogation of witnesses: Petroleum Minister B.Shankaranand former commerce minister P.Chidambaram and though not directly indicted even Agriculture Minister Balram Jakhar and Ghulam Nabi Azad have figured in the JPC.

Minister of State for Finance Rameshwar Thakur has been served a notice of breach of privilege by the JPC for sending advance information on the scam to only the Congress members of the JPC.

The Reserve Bank of India and the Finance Ministry have also come under fire during the JPC sittings with the deposition of witnesses pointing to dereliction of duty if not worse on their part.

The ruling party is therefore understandably nervous about this Parliament session. The Ayodhya issue in fact might well be a savior in disguise. Congressmen are said to be hoping that this will take up so much time and theatric that it will divert attention from the JPC and the scam.

Article extracted from this publication >> December 4, 1992