Pranab, PC to meet PM today
Union home minister P. Chidambaram and finance minister Pranab Mukherjee are expected to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday. The PM, on his way back from the US, rallied behind Mr Chidambaram, saying, “He enjoys my full confidence”.
While Mr Chidambaram went through routine work at his North Block office Tuesday, Mr Mukherjee will return from Kolkata Wednesday afternoon. Attempts were reportedly being made to make Mr Chidambaram and Mr Mukherjee address a joint press conference to put a lid on the controversy. The PM is also expected to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi on the issue. The CBI, meanwhile, opposed in the Supreme Court any probe by it against Mr Chidambaram.
The JPC looking into the 2G scam on Tuesday asked the finance secretary to appear before it on October 12. The JPC wanted to know why the contentious note was not submitted to it and has also asked the PMO to submit all relevant documents relating to the 2G spectrum case.
As the BJP-led Opposition continued to target Mr Chidambaram on the basis of the 2G note, the CBI made it clear that there was no need to probe Mr Chidambaram and that “there was nothing new in the 2G note”. The CBI had already stated that it had completed its investigation and that there is nothing against the home minister.
Sources disclosed that the government and the Congress have decided to extend full support to both Mr Mukherjee and Mr Chidambaram and not buckle under any Opposition pressure.
Union law minister Salman Khurshid, meanwhile, met Mrs Gandhi on the issue.
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