SC verdict a vindication of PAC draft report on 2G: Joshi

New Delhi, Feb 3 (ANI): Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chairperson and BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi has said that the Supreme Court verdict quashing 2G spectrum allocation to 122 companies is a virtual endorsement of the draft report of Parliament's PAC headed by him and vindicates his stand.

Welcoming Thursday's Supreme Court decision, Joshi insisted that the apex court's observations have exposed what was earlier brought out in the proceedings of the Parliamentary panel.

He referred to the controversial draft report of the PAC which was leaked to the media and published by several newspapers and claimed there were several similarities between its content and the observations of the Supreme Court.

"The draft report states that spectrum and the license to use it should be separate. It also said the Finance Minister had suggested to Prime Minister that what has been done in 2G spectrum allocation has been done and there was no need for auction. The report also states that the additional spectrum given away free to these companies should be charged," Joshi told reporters in New Delhi on Friday.

Asked if this meant the draft report of PAC on 2G spectrum was authentic, Joshi evaded a direct reply.

Drawing further similarities between the Supreme Court observations and the PAC draft report, Joshi said both said the price of 2G spectrum should have been determined through auction.

The report had also called for cancellation of the licenses, which has been done by the court on Thursday.

He maintained that when the Supreme Court observed that there had been a huge loss to the exchequer, it was in a manner endorsing the presumptive loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore arrived at by the CAG and endorsed in the draft report. (ANI)