Tuesday, December 13 2005 17:00 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Vice-President Bal Apte would head the internal inquiry ordered by the party into the cash-for-questions scam involving six party MPs, party spokesperson Sushma Swaraj announced here today (Dec 13, 2005).

The three-member committee would have former Labour Minister Satya Narayan Jatiya and former Surface Transport Minister Brig Bhuvan Chandra Khanduri as members, she told reporters. The committee would submit its report at the earliest, she said adding it could be before the end of the Parliament session on December 23.

Taking a high moral ground after the telecast of the television expose, BJP President L K Advani had announced the suspension of all the six MPs including two Union Ministers Annasaheb M K Patil and Chhatrapal Singh from the Parliamentary Party and announced an internal probe into the matter.

Wherever necessary, the party would refer the matter to the Privileges Committee of the Lok Sabha, he had said.

Swaraj, who is a member of the Ethics Committee of the Rajya Sabha, said the panel, which had recommended the suspension of party MP Chhatrapal Singh from the House, was likely to submit its report before the conclusion of the Winter Session.