Thaindian News

New Delhi, Nov 12 (IANS) Stating he had full faith in the judiciary, Communications and IT Minister A. Raja said Friday that there was “no question” of him resigning over allegations that he was involved in the 2G spectrum scam.

“I have full faith in judiciary, the entire thing is put on judiciary,” Raja told reporters on the sidelines of a national e-governance meeting here.

“The matter is sub judice. We will prove everything in the court… The question of my resigning does not arise,” said Raja, who has been in the eye of the proverbial storm with the opposition refusing to let parliament function till he was sacked.

“We followed the 1999 telecom policy while giving 2G licences,” the DMK MP said.

Responding to AIADMK chief J. Jayalalithaa’s offer to back the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) if he was sacked and the DMK withdrew support to the government, he said she had no “moral right” to speak on the matter.

“She (Jayalalithaa) is the only political leader who as a chief minister denied her own signature… She is trying to save her own skin, she is facing corruption charges herself. She has no moral right to speak on the matter,” said Raja.

Jayalalithaa Thursday offered to back the ruling UPA if it decided on sacking Raja over his alleged involvement in the 2G spectrum scam. The Congress had rejected her offer.

Raja added that he was yet to receive the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG). “I haven’t gone through the official report of CAG… I cannot comment on the facts put up by the media,” he said.

Raja, whose DMK is a key ally of the ruling alliance, has been accused of ignoring the advice of the finance and law ministries, as also the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India while allocating the spectrum.

The telecom department followed the policy of first-come-first-serve basis in the allocation of 2G spectrum licences and the cut-off date was changed; the licences were also awarded to just 120 of the 575 applicants.

The CAG Wednesday submitted to the government its report on the controversial 2G spectrum allotment that is understood to have caused a loss of over Rs.170,000 crore (Rs.1.7 trillion) to the national exchequer.

The price at which telecom operators were allotted the spectrum in 2008 was based on 2001 prices.

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) Wednesday filed a counter-affidavit in the Supreme Court saying the allocation of 2G spectrum was done in accordance with then government policy.

The affidavit also said the CAG did not have the authority to question the policy decision.