The 2G scam was the most shameful and worst scam since independence in which there was a loss of 1.76 lacs crores of public revenue as per the CAG report.
This massive corruption has shocked the conscience of the nation. The Supreme Court today has quashed 122 licences as these were granted in an illegal manner involving large scale irregularities. The decision making process of the government has come for severe indictment by the apex court. This was the third decision exposing serious infirmity in the decision making process of the UPA government:
- The first related to the appointment of the earlier CVC Mr Thomas, which was rightly quashed by the court.
- the second related to the gross delay of 16 months in the grant of sanction to prosecute the then Minister Mr A Raja where the Supreme Court strongly commented against the PMO of inaction. Obviously, any idea of PMO without PM is unthinkable and
- now comes the decisions of today where licences have been quashed.
The lack of integrity, credibility, transparency and fairness in the decision making process is repeatedly coming for serious scrutiny of the apex court where these are being set aside. The country wants answers and accountability while the PM, Smt. Sonia Gandhi and Mr Rahul Gandhi maintain conspicuous silence.
Today, Mr Kapil Sibal undertook a command performance in the wake of Supreme Court judgement and said that only former minister Mr Raja was responsible and the PM and Mr Chidambaram have no role at all. He also made the audacious claim that had the Prime Minister known about it, he would have taken preventive steps. Nothing could be farther from truth.
In this connection the BJP would like to raise the following questions:
- Is it not a fact that the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh wrote a letter on 2nd Nov. 2007 to Mr Raja raising issues relating to fairness and transparency in the Spectrum allocation criteria and asked him to convey his stand before any further action?
- Is it not a fact that Mr Raja on 2nd Nov. 2007 and 26 Dec 2007 replied to the Prime Minister based upon untenable facts and sought shelter in the discussion with the then External Affairs Minister and Solicitor General to take pro-active and pre-emptive steps?
- Is it not a fact that the Prime Minister in stead of directing him to stop all allocations till transparency is assured just acknowledged his letter on 03rd Jan 2008? Why did the Prime Minister not intervene and stop this whole allocation?
- Why did the Prime Minister keep quiet when the cut- off date was changed and favoured operators only were allowed to enter Sanchar Bhawan and others were kept out forcibly?
- Is it not a fact that both the TRAI in its recommendation and the then finance secretary on 22nd Nov 2007 in his letter to the Telecom Secretary insisted as to how the entry fee of 2001 had been applied in 2007 without indexation let alone current valuation?
- Is it not a fact that before the grant of licences the Additional Secretary in the Deptt. of Economic Affairs has recommended on 9th Jan 2008 for the revision of entry fee fixed in 2003 and adoption of auction methodology for determination of spectrum charges and sought the direction of the then Finance Minister Mr P. Chidambaram to give direction to take a position in the telecom commission meeting?
- Is it not a fact that in stead of accepting this sound advice, Mr Chidambaram wrote to the Prime Minister on 15th Jan 2008 that spectrum already allocated be treated as a closed chapter and auction be adopted for future? All this is in public domain.
- Is it not a fact that the agreed position between Mr Chidambaram and Mr Raja was conveyed to the Prime Minister in June 2006 about the spectrum pricing on the 2001 index which the Prime Minister confirmed in the Parliament on 4th July 2010. Therefore, the Prime Minister and the then finance minister were also in the loop. Therefore, an investigation into the role of the then finance minister is very important and the Supreme Court has rejected the plea of the CBI to the contrary.
- Is it not a fact that Mr Sibal publicly criticised the CAG and said that there was zero loss?
- Is it not a fact that when Dr Murli Manohar Joshi as the Chairman of the PAC has exposed this corruption in his draft report the Congress members created all the hurdles?
In 2001 there were only 4 million subscribers and in 2007-08 there were 350 millions. The entire policy was manipulated and massive irregularity committed which costs heavy loss to the public revenue. No licence granted in the NDA regime has been cancelled. The PM must own accountability and Mr Chidambaram cannot continue in the government.
