Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and finance minister Pranab Mukherjee seem to hold different views about the PM appearing before the Murli Manohar Joshi-led public accounts committee (PAC).The PM had, during the Congress plenary, offered to appear before the PAC examining the CAG's report on the 2G spectrum scam. Pranab said on Sunday he would have dissuaded the PM from making such a commitment had he known about the decision."The PM is answerable to the Lok Sabha and not to a committee,"Pranab said and added that the PAC is only part of the House to which the PM is accountable."They (the Opposition) think the PM is afraid. It is not that anyone is avoiding investigation, he himself proposed to appear before the PAC without discussing," Pranab added.Political observers, however, see the finance minister's statement as an indicator of a communication gap among the top leadership of the UPA and as a divergence of opinion on procedural issues among the leaders.Although Pranab clarified later that there was no difference of opinion between him and the Prime Minister at a personal level, many feel the PM's effort to come clean by appearing before the PAC has not gone down well with the finance minister, a stickler for systemic propriety.
"Definitely, Dr Manmohan Singh has been concerned about his image as the Opposition has trained its guns on him. But this (the PM's offer) has not gone down well with Pranab who has been the leader of the House and was trying to resolve the deadlock within the House through discussion. His statement certainly can be looked at from this perspective," a political analyst said.A senior Congress leader admitted Pranab's admission that he was unaware of the PM's decision indicated a lack of communication among the top leadership. "He (Pranab) chooses his words carefully. If someone construes that there is a communication gap between the top two leaders after this statement, it may not be too wrong," he said. The finance minister's comments, however, have evoked sharp reactions from the Opposition.
"Definitely, Dr Manmohan Singh has been concerned about his image as the Opposition has trained its guns on him. But this (the PM's offer) has not gone down well with Pranab who has been the leader of the House and was trying to resolve the deadlock within the House through discussion. His statement certainly can be looked at from this perspective," a political analyst said.A senior Congress leader admitted Pranab's admission that he was unaware of the PM's decision indicated a lack of communication among the top leadership. "He (Pranab) chooses his words carefully. If someone construes that there is a communication gap between the top two leaders after this statement, it may not be too wrong," he said. The finance minister's comments, however, have evoked sharp reactions from the Opposition.
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