The UPA government, which is fighting the 2G spectrum issue on several fronts, must be feeling quite relieved at the skirmish inside the PAC along party lines, something that is both unprecdented and unseemly.
Three key questions are doing the rounds.
One, who leaked the draft report? Union information and broadcasting minister Ambika Soni said she is going to order a probe into the leak of what is considered to be a secret document.
Meanwhile, Congress and the BJP are blaming each other. On Wednesday, PAC member K.Sambasiva Rao of the Congress said that the draft report was being shown on the 'Headlines Today' news channel even before it reached the homes of the members. A Congress spokesperson was less categorical and was curious as to who leaked it. Her assumption, of course, is that it is someone from the BJP. The BJP is certain that it was Congress members who leaked the story because there is no reason for the BJP to do so.
Two, who benefits from the leak? The Congress is maintaining strict neutrality and silence over the consequences of the leaked report. Does it make things tougher for the government or can it breathe easy now? Congress members are unable to hide their sense of happiness at the outcome of the leaked report though they are maintaining discreet silence. "It is for the committee to decide," said one of them.
The BJP now wants to use the draft report as a means to corner the government yet again on the 2G scam issue. It is also forced to support PAC chairman Joshi now. The irony is that it was the BJP that had insisted on the formation of the JPC, and the Congress members who had argued that the PAC was already looking into the matter and there is no need for another committee.
The third question is about the status of the draft report and its future. One of the Congress members of the PAC said that the draft report had been rejected on Thursday, and there are no further meetings of the present committee which winds up on April 30 and that it is for the new committee, which starts functioning from May 2, to take a decision.
The Congress-DMK strategy seems to have been to stall the attempt of the Joshi to finalise the report before the term of the present commitee ends and they believe that they have succeeded.