Congress defends Raja in spectrum controversy
October 26th, 2009 - 8:48 pm ICT by IANS
New Delhi, Oct 26 (IANS) The Congress Monday strongly defended Communications Minister A. Raja, saying his name did not figure in the case related to the controversy over awarding 2G spectrum licences last year.
“The minister’s name has not figured in the FIR (first information report). Only some officials’ names have been figured,” said party spokesman Shakeel Ahmed here.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) last week searched the offices of the telecom ministry to probe the alleged “criminal conspiracy” between some officials and private companies in giving wireless radio spectrum to telecommunication firms.
“The minister’s office was not raided. Only some offices under his ministry were raided,” Ahmed told reporters.
Criticising the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) for demanding Raja’s resignation, the Congress said the two parties did not have the right to speak against corruption as their top leaders’ role in some scandals were probed by the CBI.
The BJP Monday said the alleged irregularities in allotting spectrum and licences by the telecom ministry to nine private operators in 2007 was the “largest scam in independent India” that cost the government a whopping “Rs.60,000 crore”.
The Congress referred to former BJP president Bangaru Laxman’s bribery case, which was exposed through a sting operation and CPI-M Kerala leader Pinarayi Vijayan’s alleged involvement in the multi-million SNC Lavalin scam.
Ahmed said the Congress is a party that stands for “transparency in public life and zero tolerance against corruption”.
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- Punish all 2G scam culprits, demands CPI-M - Apr 15, 2011
- 2G scam: CBI Director appears before PAC - Mar 10, 2011
- Make Kerala home minister accused in Lavalin case: Petition - May 05, 2011
- Timeline of the 2G case - Feb 04, 2012
- 2G scam: Raids won't affect Congress-DMK alliance, says Kanimozhi - Dec 16, 2010
- 2G scam: Raja should be arrested, says Jayalalithaa - Dec 20, 2010
- 2G scam: Former Telecom Minister A Raja meets Karaunanidhi - Dec 11, 2010
- CPI-M demands A. Raja's removal - May 07, 2010
- Opposition to raise corruption issues in parliament - Nov 07, 2010
- Chidambaram's role in 2G pricing: Hearing in mid-March (Lead) - Mar 01, 2012
- CBI case in 2G is effort to save Chidambaram: BJP - Nov 19, 2011
- BJP finds itself in 2G dock after CBI files case (Roundup) - Nov 19, 2011
Tags: bharatiya janata party, bjp president, bribery case, central bureau of investigation, communist party of india, communist party of india marxist, criminal conspiracy, independent india, party spokesman, pinarayi vijayan, private operators, radio spectrum, shakeel, spectrum licences, sting operation, telecom ministry, telecommunication firms, whopping rs, wireless radio, zero tolerance