Government on Friday did not rule out setting up of a Joint Parliamentary Committee to probe into the Indian Premier League controversy with Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee saying a decision would be taken after 'due diligence.'
"It (a decision on JPC) is to be taken after due diligence and consideration. It cannot be like instant coffee or instant consideration," he said in the Lok Sabha, responding to the Opposition demand for JPC.
Mukherjee, who is also the Leader of the Lok Sabha, said the government will have to ponder over it.
"I will communicate your sentiments to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. As and when the government takes a decision, we will come to Parliament. Let us wait for some time," he added.
Not satisfied with his assurance, the Opposition members continued to press for immediate acceptance of their demand and in the din, Speaker Meira Kumar adjourned the House till 12 noon.
Mukherjee said when the issue was raised earlier by the opposition, he had informed the House that the concerned department had already started investigation and was asked to carry on with their raids.
He said the notice from some of the opposition members for suspension of the Question Hour was given to the Speaker and that he only received information about it.
Earlier, Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj raised the IPL controversy to demand a JPC probe, saying the issue was getting 'more serious day by day.'
Swaraj said allegations were flying thick and fast that two senior ministers in the government had a role to play in the controversy. She said now reports had come out that the ministers had indulged in 'gross misuse of power' including diversion of a civilian aircraft for the IPL players.
The BJP leader was referring to media reports today that an Air India flight from Delhi to Coimbatore had been diverted to ferry the cricketers from Chandigarh to Chennai, leaving the airline passengers to take a flight much later.
"The whole issue (of IPL) should be probed. The Leader of the House had said they are ready to probe. We feel investigating agencies will not be able to bring the truth to the fore. From day one of the episode, we have demanded that JPC be constituted to look into this," Swaraj said.
Swaraj said the government should constitute the JPC to probe the IPL controversy 'to save the dignity of the House and to bring to light the whole issue.'
Supporting her, JD-U leader Sharad Yadav said there were 'all sorts of allegations' against IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi 'of looting the whole system from here to Rajasthan.'
Pressing for accountability for the cricket T20 league too, he said they should be answerable to Parliament and the whole country.
Yadav said Sports Minister M S Gill was talking as though he was in the Opposition, but nobody took any note of it. Alleging that 'illegal money' from both Mauritius and Swiss banks had be invested in IPL, the JD-U member said it was necessary for constituting the JPC to probe all aspects of the tournament.
"JPC must be constituted, only then will there be some credibility as there are allegations of involvement of two ministers in the controversy," he added.
CPI-M leader Basudeb Acharia, referring to the JPC constituted in the securities scam involving Harshad Mehta by the P V Narasimha Rao government in 1991 when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was the Finance Minister, said there was 'an urgent need' for constituting JPC.
"I urge the government to find the truth and fix responsibility for such large scale corruption. JPC should be constituted immediately," he said.
Alleging that IPL was the 'biggest gambling,' Acharia said new facts were tumbling out every day. "This is not cricket, it is business. They have used the Mauritius route to pump in thousands of crores of rupees and the government was sleeping. Unless there is JPC, truth will not come out," he said.
CPI member Gurudas Dasgupta termed the IPL controversy as the 'most serious fraud in the history of Independent India' and said 'unpardonable violation of law has taken place for the last two years right under the nose of the government.'
Dasgupta said the Income Tax department had informed a Parliamentary Standing Committee that there could be no assessment of the IPL for 21 months. "I, as a tax payer, am assessed every year.
"Why IPC is given amnesty and unpardonable privilege," he wondered. He said the government should ponder over 'gross failure' of the enforcement agencies.
Dasgupta said the JPC demand of the Opposition was justified because the parliamentary probe had 'a long hand' to utilise multiple agencies of the government and all parties would be represented in it and not just the Opposition.
He asked why the PM was 'adopting double standards' in the IPL episode when as Finance Minister he had agreed to a JPC into the Harshad Mehta scam.
"If Harshad Mehta attracted JPC, why IPL will not," he wondered.
"The government should come clean -- in its own interest and in the interest of Parliament -- before the whole country," he added.
As the Speaker took up Question Hour soon after, members of other Opposition parties were on their feet seeking time to speak. She reminded them that there was no notice on the issue.
Swaraj then demanded that the government respond to the JPC demand of the Opposition, saying, "If government does not respond, what is the use of giving the notice."
When Mukherjee rose to respond, other Opposition members were on their feet demanding time to speak. Reacting sharply, he said, "I got up to respond to your demand, you are still on your feet. If Leader of Opposition wants to speak and Speaker allows her, I understand. If everybody wants to speak, how is it possible?"
