A.Raja names Chidambaram and Manmohan in 2G Scam

[ravishingravi]

New Delhi: In court today, A Raja presented a spirited defence of the decisions that have landed him in Tihar Jail. One of the more controversial consequences of his decisions was that two Indian companies were able to sell the licences Mr Raja granted very cheaply to them at a massive profit to foreign investors. Mr Raja said in court that the Prime Minister and then Finance Minister P Chidambaram were aware of this. "The Finance Minister approved the sale in the presence of the PM. Let the Prime Minister deny it," said Mr Raja in court today. Mr Raja was arrested in November for selling mobile network licences and 2G spectrum while he was Telecom Minister in 2008 to companies that were ineligible. A spin-off from the alleged scam is that two of those companies - Unitech Wireless and DB Realty - then sold equity to foreign companies - Telenor in the case of Unitech and Etisalat in the case of DB Realty. The Indian companies made huge profits - they had been sold the licences at throwaway rates, but were able to sell them at huge mark-ups, leading to the conclusion that they had profited at the cost of the government. In court today, he said, "Where is the crime? Where is the conspiracy? Telenor buying a stake in Unitech Wireless and Etisalat buying a stake in DB Realty was totally legal as per the corporate law. The Finance Minister approved the sale in the presence of the PM. Let the Prime Minister deny it." And added, "What the telecom companies do after I give them spectrum is not my domain." Mr Raja has been questioned about why he decided against auctioning spectrum instead of awarding licences on a first-come-first-serve basis. "If the policy pursued by me was wrong, then all former Telecom Ministers since 1993 should also be jail with me," said Mr Raja in a Delhi court this morning. "If I had auctioned spectrum, that would have been a crime, as it was a Union Cabinet decision," he said. The government and the PM have said that it's not the policy but Mr Raja's twisted implementation that saw companies like Unitech and DB Realty allegedly jumping to the head of the queue to get licences out of turn. Like his party, the DMK, Mr Raja has stressed that he followed the policies introduced by his predecessors in the NDA government that was in power till 2004, when the UPA coalition was elected. Mr Raja said, "As Telecom Minster Arun Shourie distributed 26 licences while Dayanidhi Maran distributed 25 and I (Raja) distributed 122 licences. Numbers make no difference, however, it is to be noted that none of them auctioned the spectrum. If they had done no wrong, why am I being questioned? Let them deny that they have not done what I did. I was just following the 2003 Cabinet decision that is not to auction 2G spectrum. If I am following the law, I am not liable to be prosecuted. In fact, I should be rewarded." CHIDAMBARAM ON SWAN, UNITECH P Chidambaram, who was Finance Minister when India's telecom scam played out in 2008, refused to comment on Mr Raja saying that he (Mr Raja) could not be held responsible for the foreign partners who were roped in by two Indian companies after he awarded them mobile network licenses while he was Telecom Minister. And that the Prime Minister and Mr Chidambaram were aware that Unitech Wireless and Swan Telecom tied up with foreign firms Telenor and Etisalat respectively after they received 2G licences. But, answering questions, Mr Chidambaram told PTI that there was no sale of spectrum by Unitech and Swan Telecom to foreign partners; instead, they were issued fresh shares by promoters. And that this was discussed in the presence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. (Read: Shares divested or diluted was the only issue discussed, says Chidambaram) Mr Chidambaram also said that his ministry's examination of the matter was limited to whether Swan Telecom and Unitech were divesting stake or diluting shares through fresh equity. If an investor buys existing shares off the owner of a company, the money goes directly to the owner. If fresh shares are issued for the investor, the money is pumped into the company. But in this case too, the owner of the company benefits because the value of the company shoots up, in turn increasing the value of the shares held by the owner. The legality of the deals with Telenor and Etisalat has not been challenged by the CBI, which is investigating the scam. Experts have referred to the transactions involving them to point out the extent of the telecom scam allegedly conducted by Mr Raja. While he gave licenses to companies like Unitech Wireless and Swan at hefty bargains, they were able to attract enormous investments from foreign companies for the same licenses. This is seen as an indication of how Mr Raja cost the government thousands of crores by under-valuing the licenses he awarded as Telecom Minister. BJP DEMANDS RESIGNATIONS OF PM, CHIDAMBARAM The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today demanded the resignations of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and then finance minister P. Chidambaram after allegations by former communications minister A Raja that both knew about transactions in the 2G spectrum allocation. "Today, Raja has made it clear in the court that all the transactions in the 2G case were cleared after permission was given by prime minister and Chidambaram," BJP president Nitin Gadkari told reporters in New Delhi. "Sonia Gandhi (Congress chief) always claims that action will be taken against those found corrupt... then why silence on this matter? I want to ask Sonia Gandhi whether Raja's confession in the court is direct evidence of the prime minister and Chidambaram's involvement (in the scam). "I demand their resignation as they (prime minister and Chidamabaram) have no right (to continue)," he said. http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/raja-names-pm-chidambaram-says-i-sho%20uld-be-rewarded-121878

[kabira]

Now everything will go under carpet. I hope Supreme Court watches this case closely and doesn't allow any political pressure to kill this case.

[diga]

NewsX ‏@NewsX Fmr TRAI chief's claims on Ex-PM’s involvement in 2G scam: Manmohan Singh threatened me to cooperate or face harm #ExplosiveDisclosures

If true, Congress is deep in s h i t

[asterix]

If true' date=' Congress is deep in s h i t[/quote'] Manmohan will be the fall guy...

[Malcolm Merlyn]

Achhe din aa gaaye!

[Sachin=GOD]

If true' date=' Congress is deep in s h i t[/quote'] They really can't go any deeper in sh!t. Also, MMS will be the one in trouble - if need be, Cong will be the first one to discredit him.

[G_B_]

shame looks like mms is courrpt. did not expect this

[amiret]

NEW DELHI: In a self-published tell-all book, former Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) chairman Pradip Baijal has alleged that the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh warned him of "harm" if he didn't cooperate in the 2G case.

Spinning yarns to sell his pitiful book . Let him state this in a court of law and subject himself to cross-examination .

[Raghav_12]

shame looks like mms is courrpt. did not expect this

Jumping the gun if you believe this just on the basis on statement of a person looking to make his book a commercial success. With all kind of incompetencies which MMS carried, it's difficult to believe him being directly involved in corruption.

[Raghav_12]

Had not realized that it was written in book going for publication.

[Gollum]

Manmohan will be the fall guy...

+1

[diga]

the allegations are not from any person... its from former TRAI chief and also former telecom minister has blamed MMS/Chidambaram ps: Couple this with coal allocation scam, where MMS was the coal minister.. MMS image has taken a severe hit

[seedhi]

They really can't go any deeper in sh!t. Also' date=' MMS will be the one in trouble - if need be, [b']Cong will be the first one to discredit him.

Thats just stating something which has been obvious since Rahul Gandhi tore up MMS's ordinance in public, he practically p!ssed all over Manmohan's face who suffered the humiliation without so much as a whimper just to stick to his chair..

[Shivaji bhonsle]

Looks like Daya nidhi maran is a complete ****. He threatened Tata to join with Sun network as per Pradip baijal's book.

[G_B_]

Jumping the gun if you believe this just on the basis on statement of a person looking to make his book a commercial success. With all kind of incompetencies which MMS carried' date=' it's difficult to believe him being directly involved in corruption.[/quote'] two people are saying the same thing. I too find is hard to believe that MMS did not know anything. He may not have taken money himself but its sick to know he did aid in facilitating it.

[diga]

some of these revelations implicate UPA-1..

Mr Baijal claims that the CBI, assigned to investigate the 2G scam, was acting on behalf of Dr Singh's government when it ordered him to implicate Arun Shourie, who has served as Telecom Minister in the BJP-led government that lost the 2004 election, and industrialist Ratan Tata, whose telecom is among those investigated. Mr Baijal also states that in 2004, he told the PM that picking Mr Maran as Telecom Minister could create a possible conflict of interest. Mr Maran's family owns a large broadcasting business, and TRAI had been assigned as a watchdog for broadcasters. He claims the PM dismissed the concerns.

http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/pm-manmohan-singh-knew-of-2g-scam-threatened-me-with-harm-ex-trai-chief-766131

[Texan]

Manmohan Singh warned me of harm in 2G issue: Former TRAI Chairman Baijal

In yet another confessional book damning the UPA regime, former TRAI Chairman Pradip Baijal has also alleged that CBI wanted him to "implicate" Arun Shourie and Ratan Tata. Yet another book has come out damning the previous UPA government with former TRAI Chairman Pradip Baijal alleging that the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had warned him of harm if he did not cooperate on 2G telecom licenses. An accused in the 2G spectrum allocation scam case, he also claimed that the CBI wanted him to “implicate†Arun Shourie and Ratan Tata in the case. In his self-published book, The Complete Story of Indian Reforms: 2G, Power and Private Enterprise — A Practitioner’s Diary, Mr. Baijal, who was appointed head of the telecom watchdog by the NDA government in 2003, said the 2G scam trail began under UPA’s Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran regime. “They (CBI) had warned me in each case that I would be harmed if I didn’t cooperate. Incidentally, this was exactly what the eminent economist Prime Minister had told me would happen if I did not cooperate in their scheme of things in the 2G case,†Mr. Baijal writes in an apparent reference to 2G case and disinvestment issues. There were no immediate comments available from the former Prime Minister, while Mr. Baijal told PTI, “I have said everything. It is 100 per cent correct and I have evidence to prove everything.†This is the third book in last more than a year that has come to haunt Dr. Singh and his government about state of affairs during his regime. The first book was written by his aide and media advisor Sanjaya Baru and later by former coal secretary P.C. Parekh who is also an accused in the case relating to coal blocks allocation. Mr. Baijal said he was “not treated properly†after he gave recommendations on the unified licensing regime. “That led to many problem and that led to adverse inference against me by the ruling party then. When I met Prime Minister late, he said that you must listen to your Minister and you must take his view in to consideration. I said his view will get me in to lot of trouble,†he said. Mr. Maran, who was Telecom Minister in UPA I from May 2004 to 2007, threatened Mr. Baijal with “serious consequences†if he gave recommendations on Unified Licences that would have replaced the old system of giving out permits on first-come-first-serve basis. “Dayanidhi Maran told me in my first meeting with him not to give Unified Licensing recommendations as directed by the Cabinet of the previous government. He further indicated that there would be serious consequences if I did,†Mr. Baijal wrote. When he took up the matter with the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, he wrote that “The PM also told me to cooperate with my Minister in the coalition government he headed, since non-cooperation could compromise his government.†Mr. Baijal said that both Mr. Maran and his successor A. Raja suppressed his recommendations and sold spectrum to “a selected few without following any rules or procedures.†He claimed that CBI wanted him to implicate Ratan Tata and Arun Shourie. Mr. Baijal writes that Mr. Maran knew exactly about discussion between him and Dr. Singh. “I can only surmise that they were all working in tandem possibly along with the PM, Chidambaram and Kapil Sibal at different stages and were guiding the CBI enquiry, getting files removed and, making false statements in the media to make a case against the erstwhile TRAI.†Mr. Baijal has alleged that Ratan Tata in 2004 informed him that “he was being threatened by Dayanidhi Maran that unless he accepted the merger of Tata Sky with Sun TV, he would ruin him. Ratan Tata refused to cooperate. They would alternatively threaten to harm me and my family and then dangle a carrot of sparing me if I implicated Ratan Tata and Arun Shourie,†he wrote. Mr. Baijal said that his recommendation was meant to replace Unified Access Services Licence that were allocated with spectrum but TRAI’s “recommendation was not considered and the old regime continued which led to 2G scam later.†The recommendation on UL was followed by another recommendation on spectrum related issues in May, 2005 that suggested bidding of spectrum in case adequate spectrum is not identified despite best efforts. He said that bidding process must be avoided in view of the existing high burden of license fee, service tax, spectrum charges, etc. “Had I cooperated with Dayanidhi Maran and the PM, I would have been in jail today, held guilty for the 2G scam,†Mr. Baijal said. Mr. Baijal said that he flagged issue of Mr. Maran being appointed as Minister as he is also a broadcaster but the “PM dismissed the concerns with serious argument that there is no conflict of since TRAI was an independent regulator.â€

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/manmohan-singh-warned-me-of-harm-in-2g-issue-baijal/article7247791.ece Didn't quite expect MMS to stoop to this level. From the biggest thugs and thieves in the country, DMK, with their Marans and Raja and the King of thugs Karunanidhi, nothing better can be expected of course.

[ravishingravi]

Jumping the gun if you believe this just on the basis on statement of a person looking to make his book a commercial success. With all kind of incompetencies which MMS carried' date=' it's difficult to believe him being directly involved in corruption.[/quote'] Yes. We all should never jump the gun.

[Tapioca]

It is funny to imagine MMS issuing threats in his 20db voice. Perhaps he tries to imitate Marlon Brando.

[Gollum]

We need a Congress mukt Bharat as our PM says, looted our country more than the Mughals and British combined. And DMK goons are equally culpable, hope Amma obliterates the Marans and Karunanidhi family for good.