New Delhi: BJP’s trump card in its campaign against Union Home Minister P Chidambaram is Dr Murli Manohar Joshi. In a new report on 2G spectrum scam prepared by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chairperson, sources tell CNN-IBN that references against P Chidambaram have been increased – annexures that build a stronger case against him. While Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s name remains key in the report but the target now quite clearly is the Home Minister himself.
In a fresh bid to get his report adopted by the 21 members of the committee, Dr Joshi circulated a new report with 276 pages of documents the PAC had received from government on 2G spectrum allocation.
CNN-IBN had earlier shown a letter which was a part of the PAC report written by Chidambaram talking about spectrum auction. A letter which is being used by the BJP to suggest that the then finance minister was against the first-come-first-serve system worked out by A Raja. Giving ammunition is Chidambaram’s statement that BJP is targetting him as he has expedited investigation against the right wing groups in terror activities.
The Congress meanwhile outright rejected any possibility of accepting a report returned by the Lok Sabha Speaker.
Earlier on Sunday, Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam also slammed the report and said, “The new report deserves to be dumped. Murli Manohar Joshi is playing politics.”
Senior BJP leader SS Ahluwalia on Sunday said, “The report has not been adopted by the committee, what’s wrong in it that he is circulating again to get it adopted.
Dr Joshi’s report is infact being seen as part of a larger BJP game plan. Perhaps for the first time in a long while Dr Joshi is being looked at as a central figure in a key party campaign given the fact that Dr Joshi hasn’t had too many friends within the party.
New Delhi: Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia today said that the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) cannot be held responsible for the irregularities in the 2G spectrum allocation as the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) is not running a micro-managed form of government, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported.
“I don’t think that the Prime Minister should be behaving as the Super Minister, supervising everything that his colleague does…,” Ahluwalia said.
He said this in response to a question on whether former telecom minister A Raja followed the prime minister’s advice to be cautious and transparent while giving licences and 2G spectrum in 2007-2008.
On the letter written by the prime minister himself on November 2, 2007, asking Raja to exercise fairness and transparency in the spectrum allocation, he said the letter was written since it concerned the public.
Ahluwalia clarified that the prime minister had been assured that policies were being followed and deviations, if any, had the approval of the solicitor general.
“The minister (Raja) subsequently responded and assured him ( Manmohan Singh) that he was following the established policy and there was some departure, which I think he brought to the attention of the prime minister and said that these had the support and approval of the solicitor general,” he said.
“Now in an environment like that, remember, if something wrong or unfair is being done by a ministry, people affected take the matter to court, they protest…, if the PM keeps monitoring, then we are not running a Cabinet government, we are running something like a micro-managed form of government,” he said.
New Delhi: Embattling ex-telecom minister A Raja wants P Chidambaram to be a witness in the 2G case.
Raja on Tuesday pleaded that current home minister, who was earlier heading the portfolio be made a witness in the 2G allocation spectrum scam.
He also clarified that he does not want either the home minster or prime minster to be implicated in the case.
The DMK MP also termed his judicial custody “illegal” and prayed for his “forthwith release.” Raja is behind bars for six months now.
“The matters relating to dilution of equities to foreign firms by Swan Telecom and Unitech Wireless were known to the Prime Minister and then finance minister Chidambaram,” he said.
Telcom Mnister Kapil Sibal yesterday clarified that, while he would not comment on the argument made by a “prospective accused” the PM or FM certainly knew about the policy on allocation.
Raja’s counsel Sushil Kumar made the submissions before special judge OP Saini.
Raja also accused the media of the bias against him. “They (media) cannot put words in my mouth. Ask them to report truthfully or go out of the court room,” he said.
New Delhi: A day after deposition of former Telecom Secretary Nripendra Mishra before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on the delay in granting new licenses to Aircel in 2004-05, Union Textile Minister Dayanidhi Maran today handed over his resignation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Maran’s resignation came minutes after the cabinet meeting ended. Maran left the Prime Minister’s residence at 7 Race Course Road soon after the meeting ended.
Misra, who was telecom secretary from February 1, 2004, to March 30, 2005, told the CBI that he had no role in the matter of the delay of licences and he merely complied with the minister’s orders relating to scrutiny of Aircel applications by sending them to the relevant departmental sections. While leaving office, he directed his officials that as and when the scrutiny sought by the minister is over, the matter be placed before his successor. This was the last note he wrote on March 30, 2005, his last day in office.
The CBI’s status report on the 2G scam filed before the Supreme Court yesterday says that it was Maran who forced C Sivasankaran to sell his company to Maxis of Malaysia. The CBI report does not address the conflict of interest issue raised by Sivasankaran while pointing out that Maran’s refusal to grant Aircel licenses forced him to sell out — Siva pointed out that within a few months of Maxis getting licenses from Maran, a group company Astro picked up a stake in his brother’s Sun Network.
Maran is believed to have taken this decision after getting clear instructions from the DMK central leadership, which also met in Chennai to take a decision on his continuance in the UPA-II government.
His resignation comes a week ahead of the proposed restructuring of the Central Cabinet led by the Prime Minister, which aims at clearing the image of the corruption-tainted UPA-II government.
Shortly after the conclusion of the Cabinet meeting, several top ministers, including Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Law Minister V Moily, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal and Home Minister P Chidambaram, met again at the residence of the prime minister to decide on Maran’s future.
The previous meeting of the Union Cabinet was also attended by Maran, who left the meeting halfway and returned to his official residence.
The Congress Core Group had yesterday met at the Prime Minister’s residence and is believed to have discussed the issue.
Maran’s resignation will further strain Congress-DMK ties, which is not in the best terms following the arrest and jailing of M Karunanidhi’s daughter Kanimozhi and that of his trusted man A Raja.
Maran was the communications minister in 2004-07.
Earlier in the day, BJP leader Arun Jaitley had said that Maran had run out of options and he should quit. He further added that the Prime Minister cannot look away after the developments in connection with the 2G scam.
AIADMK too had said that there was no use expecting Maran to take responsibility and the Prime Minister should simply drop him.
New Delhi: Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK) MP Kanimozhi and Kalaignar TV managing director Sharad Kumar, who are in jail in connection with the 2G spectrum scam, today moved the Supreme Court for bail.
Their case is expected to be heard on June 13. Their bail plea had been rejected by the Delhi High Court on June 8.
New Delhi: Anil Ambani visited Tihar Jail yesterday to meet senior executives of the Reliance ADA Group that have been in judicial custody since April 20.
The executives have been accused of setting up Swan Telecom as a front to acquire more spectrum and licenses for Reliance Telecommunications.
While Surendra Pipara is at AIIMA, Gautam Doshi and Hari Nair have been in Tihar jail all this time. These three executives are expected to approach the Supreme Court for bail only after DMK MP Kanimozi moves the apex court for the same.
New Delhi: Giving a major jolt to the expectations of DMK Chief Karunanidhi to see his daughter outside the Tihar Jail, the Delhi High Court today dismissed bail plea of DMK MP Kanimozhi and Kalaignar TV MD Sharad Kumar, accused in the 2G spectrum case, saying there are prima facie evidences against them.
File photo of Kanimozhi
India’s premier news agency PTI has quoted Justice Ajit Bharihoke as saying: “There are certain prima facie evidences against the accused. Considering the complicity of the accused in the offence, the bail applications are dismissed.”
Kanimozhi’s mother Rajathi Ammal and DMK parliamentary party leader TR Baalu were present in the courtroom when the order was pronounced.
Kanimozhi, the 43-year-old daughter of DMK supremo M Karunanidhi, and Kumar were named by the CBI for allegedly receiving a kick back to tune of Rs 200 crore.
Both Kanimozhi and Kumar have 20% stake each in Kalaignar TV Pvt Ltd which allegedly received Rs200 crore through a “circuitous” route from Shahid Balwa promoted DB Realty.
DMK chief’s wife Dayalu Ammal, who has been left out of the list of accused, owns the remaining 60% shares in the channel.
Kanimozhi and Kumar had moved the high court on May 23 challenging the trial court’s order which had rejected their bail pleas, saying the offence attributed to them was grave and the possibility of influencing the witnesses cannot be ruled out.
CBI Special Judge OP Saini had on May 20 rejected the bail pleas of Kanimozhi and Kumar and ordered their “forthwith” arrest. They are currently lodged in Tihar Jail.
Kanimozhi, who sought bail in the special court on the ground of being a woman, had approached the high court seeking relief citing the need to look after her school-going child who is devoid of her care as his father is working abroad.
Justice Bharihoke had on May 23 dismissed bail pleas of five corporate honchos, including Unitech Group managing director Sanjay Chandra and Reliance ADAG managing director Gautam Doshi in the case, saying there was a possibility that they may influence the witnesses.
New Delhi: A.P. Singh, director, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), today appeared before the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) looking into the 2G spectrum issue to brief it on the allocation and pricing of telecom licences and spectrum during the period from 1998 to 2009.
The Joint Parliamentary Committee examining the 2G scam had sought to know from the CBI Director details of the allocation of pricing of telecom licenses in this period.
Appearing before the JPC, Singh made a presentation to the members on the agency’s probe into the scam. JPC Chief P.C. Chacko did not allow members to ask too many questions to the CBI director in order to allow him to complete the presentation.
The CBI chief also briefed the committee about the agency’s ongoing probe into the buyout of Aircel. At the last meeting of the JPC on June 30, Comptroller and Auditor General Vinod Rai had also briefed the panel on the issue.
The CAG had then came in for some tough questioning on its presumptive loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore to the exchequer in 2G spectrum allocation with some members questioning its mandate of looking into a policy decision for arriving at the figure.
At the last meeting of JPC on June 30, Comptroller and Auditor General Vinod Rai had also briefed the panel on the issue.
The CAG had then come in for some tough questioning on its presumptive loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore to the exchequer in 2G spectrum allocation with some members questioning its mandate of looking into a policy decision for arriving at the figure.
The CAG, in a report to Parliament last year, had pegged presumptive loss to the exchequer on 2G spectrum allocation at Rs 1.76 lakh crore. The findings triggered a political storm and subsequent events led to the resignation of the then Telecom Minister A Raja.
Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal had dubbed “utterly erroneous and without any basis” the estimated loss of Rs. 1.76 lakh crore, arrived at by the CAG on account of 2G spectrum allocation.
According to the CBI charge sheet in the 2G spectrum allocation case, the loss to the exchequer is pegged at Rs 30,984 crore.
Responding to a query at a press conference in Chennai on Wednesday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa said the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should ask DMK Union Minister Dayanidhi Maran to resign in the wake of the allegations published in the Tehelka magazine. The questions at the press conference ranged from queries about protests over school fees to the reason why she has started wearing jewellery again. Read the entire transcript of the conference here.
Excerpts from the press conference addressed by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa at the Secretariat in Chennai on Wednesday, June 01, 2011:
Question: What stand do you expect the Prime Minister to take on (Union Textiles Minister) Dayanidhi Maran in the 2G spectrum case?
Answer: I am quite sure the Prime Minister knows what should be done in the matter concerning Mr. Dayanidhi Maran. I’m sure he will take a good decision. He should clearly tell Mr. Maran that he should resign from his ministerial post. The Prime Minister should ask him to quit immediately, if he has already not done so. Mr. Maran should quit the Cabinet and face legal action.
Q: You have said you can intervene in the issue of school fees only if the schools seek your intervention. Parents are expecting some positive announcement from you in this regard. What is your stand on this issue?
A: Until now, there appears to be no complaint. Whether it is parents or schools, if a memorandum is given to the government, that will definitely be considered.
File Photo of Jayalalithaa
Q: There are protests taking place here and there on this issue.
A: If the school managements or parents feel that the prescribed fees are detrimental to their interests, they can approach the government, instead of holding protests. The government will certainly take action if they approach it with a request that it intervene and find a solution.
Q: The function to launch the free rice scheme was very simple. Will all government functions be held in such a simple manner from now on?
A: Certainly. We should avoid unnecessary ostentation. My aim is that we should avoid needless expenditure, and we are fulfilling that. As far as I am concerned, I am delighted that I could fulfil one very important promise made to the people prior to the election.
Q: In Puducherry, all commodities are available on all days in ration shops. Will this system be followed in Tamil Nadu too?
A: Even now, the people can visit fair price shops whenever it is convenient to them and buy the commodities they want.
Q: During the previous regime, commodities meant for sale to the public in ration shops were sold to hotels. Will the government take any action in this regard?
A: Such malpractices took place during DMK rule. Whenever the DMK comes to power, these malpractices tend to occur. On the other hand, whenever the AIADMK assumes office, such irregularities are weeded out. Whether it was Puratchi Thalaivar (MG Ramachandran)’s regime or my regime, there were no complaints of irregularities in the public distribution system. Because of the wrong policies of the previous government, irregularities could have occurred in the PDS. Appropriate action will be taken to streamline the public distribution system.
Q: What is your stand on the latest verdict concerning the appointment of the Director General of Police?
A: The judgment came only yesterday. We are yet to read it. We can comment on it only after studying it in detail.
Q: Will counselling for engineering admissions take place only in Chennai or in four zones in Tamil Nadu?
A: It will be announced after consultation with the department concerned.
Q: Will the Anna Universities of Technology be merged with Anna University?
A: This was discussed in detail in the Cabinet meeting. The Governor’s address will contain an announcement in this regard day after tomorrow. Therefore, I’m unable to disclose the decision made in the Cabinet now.
Q: The former Chief Minister has said that the uniform system of education can be implemented after deleting the poem written by him from the textbooks, if that is the only reason why Samacheer Kalvi has been put on hold.
A: This is quite childish. We have not made any decision because he has written a poem. On the contrary, our only objective is that the standard of education to be imparted to children as a whole should be raised.
Q: You were not wearing any jewellery for a long time. Any reason why you have started wearing ear-studs now?
A: I was wondering why no one asked me about this. Since 1997, I have not worn any jewellery or ornaments. This decision, however, did not go down well with my party workers. Over the last few years, whenever they met me, my party cadre have been telling me, “We are very unhappy when we see you like this. You must change your decision and wear some jewellery.” They told me that just because some had pointed fingers at me in the past I shouldn’t be like this. They have been pressing me to give up my objection to wearing any ornaments, saying, “Karunanidhi and his family members, who have maligned you in the past, are themselves facing charges and legal proceedings. Why should you be like this just because someone had pointed fingers at you?” However, I didn’t heed their request. As soon as the results were declared on May 13, a large number of party workers gathered at my house to celebrate our victory. Some of them said that if even after this resounding victory I refused to wear any ornaments, they would pour kerosene on themselves and commit self-immolation. My party cadre tend to carry out such threats. Many have attempted self-immolation for various reasons in the past and we have been unable to save their lives. So, I was taken aback by their threat. As I didn’t want any untoward incident at a time when there was every reason to celebrate, I changed my mind and started wearing ear studs. If I had to wear some jewellery to save the lives of my party cadre, I was ready to change my mind and I began to wear ear studs from 14th. Already, some have cut off their own tongue and finger in the name of making an offering. These things cause me great distress. When I heard that a woman had cut off her tongue as a votive offering, I had her admitted to Theni hospital for first aid and later she was shifted to Madurai. And then she was brought to Chennai for treatment at Apollo Hospitals. She has undergone a surgery and she is now able to talk a little and doctors say she will soon regain her speech fully. Some newspapers have also made some comments on this, saying the Chief Minister is rewarding the woman who cut off her own tongue with a government job and that this amounts to encouraging such acts. It’s not like that. I didn’t expect that somebody would do such an act. As soon as I heard that it had happened, I rendered whatever assistance I could on humanitarian grounds. I enquired about her condition. Her husband has deserted her and she has two children. She has no income, and I thought the mother has to be saved for the sake of her children’s sustenance. This was why she was given a government job, and not because I wanted to reward or encourage her.
Q: You have said the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board is under debt to the tune of Rs. 46,000 crore. Is there any chance that power tariff will be revised in Tamil Nadu?
A: All this is yet to be examined. Whatever the circumstances, we will not increase the burden on the people.
Q: It is said the previous government procured 350 MW of power from other States but failed to utilise it properly and that there were irregularities in this.
A: We will examine this issue and thereafter we will take suitable action. I wish to say something about electricity distribution. During our regime of 2001-06, there were no power cuts in Tamil Nadu. Our distribution was of high quality and all consumers got 24-hour supply. At that time, our installed capacity was 10,100 MW. As a result, we had surplus power that we sold to other States and raised revenue. Later, when the DMK came to power, everything changed. There was a decline in power generation and large scale malpractices took place in the TNEB. Inferior quality coal was imported. These were the main reasons for the fall in generation. Further, there was poor maintenance and management. Any thermal plant should be halted once every hour for maintenance, and this should be done in a planned manner. None of this happened in a proper manner under DMK rule. As a result, there were disruptions in power generation in large thermal power plants, and power had to be purchased at high prices from the private sector. We have to change all this now. There has been large scale corruption in the TNEB and we have to unearth it. We have said as an election promise that we will augment power generation by 5,000 MW. We will take steps to fulfil this.
Q: There are allegations of irregularities in the procurement of power at high prices from other States. Will there be an inquiry commission to probe such charges?
A: It is not yet three weeks since we assumed office. We are engaged in department-wise reviews. Action will be taken step by step.
Q: What is your view on the Lokpal Bill?
A: I understand that copies of a draft Lokpal Bill has been sent to all Chief Ministers, but we are yet to receive the draft. As soon as we get it, we will study the matter and express our view.
Q: During the last regime, tokens were given for distribution of colour TV sets and houses. Will the distribution continue?
A: You will get a clear reply in the Governor’s address. I can’t disclose everything now.
Q: Will there be a separate cell to receive complaints about school fees?
A: Already, there is a special cell in the Chief Minister’s office. It is enough if the complaints are sent to this cell. The case relating to fixation of fee is pending in the court.
Q: What is the condition of the government treasury?
A: Even this, I can’t disclose now. The Governor’s address will have the clarifications you seek.
Q: Will there be any inquiry commission to probe allegations of irregularities in awarding tenders for construction of the new secretariat?
A: The Governor’s address will contain a reply to this question too.
New Delhi: In a new twist to the 2G spectrum allocation controversy, Swan Telecom promoter Shahid Balwa – a co-accused in the case- has expressed his desire to depose before the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probing the matter, reports claimed Wednesday.
Shahid Usman Balwa is said to have written a letter to the JPC seeking permission to depose before the panel and testify in connection with the high profile case.
“In the interest of the investigation, I should be called to depose before the JPC. I request you (JPC) to consider my request to depose before the panel at the earliest and at a time of your convenience,” Balwa was quoted as saying in the letter.
Balwa’s testimony is likely to complicate things for the Congress-led UPA government, which is already fighting to control the damage caused due to the scam, which as per the Comptroller and Auditor General of India caused a loss of Rs 1.77 lakhs crore to the exchequer.
As per other reports, Balwa may turn approver in the spectrum scam case , which may lead to the revealing of new names in the case.
Shahid Balwa, director of DB Realty, had floated Swan Telecom, which was a beneficiary of 2G spectrum allocation. It is alleged that Balwa, due to his proximity to then telecom minister A Raja, managed to win 13 of the 22 2G licences across India.
On May 24, a special CBI court rejected the bail plea of Shahid Balwa.
Special CBI Judge O P Saini, exclusively dealing with the 2G case, also dismissed the bail pleas of Balwa’s cousin, Asif Balwa and Rajeev Aggarwal, accused of facilitating Rs 200 crore bribe to Kalaignar TV in which DMK MP Kanimozhi holds 20 percent share.
Asif Balwa and Rajeev Agarwal are directors of Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt Ltd in which Shahid Balwa also holds a stake.
Shahid Balwa is currently lodged in Tihar Jail along with A Raja and other accused.
