It has to be essentially resolved by the speaker. If the speaker seeks my advice or views, then as Leader of House (I) may try to help.'

'Speaker normally nominates (members of the committee) on the advice of political parties. Now, the fact of the matter is, when he (Jaswant Singh) was chosen, the name was given by the BJP,' the finance minister said, adding that the PAC was the oldest watchdog parliamentary committee.

Asked about the crisis in the BJP after its defeat in the Lok Sabha elections and then in the wake of Jaswant Singh's book praising Pakistan founder Mohammed Ali Jinnah, Mukherjee said: 'In political parties, always there are problems. Nothing new. As in individual life we have problems, there are problems in political parties. There are ups and downs.'

'At one time, there was only (a) ruling party, no opposition. It happens in a political party's life. I take these developments stoically,' Mukherjee said. He added that as a student of history, he had seen the evolution of political parties and the frequent changes in them.

About suggestions that younger leadership should take charge of the BJP, he said: 'It is the law of nature. Younger people come forward and older people make way.'