Pranab rubbishes reports of offering to quit
October 2nd, 2011 - 8:30 pm ICT by IANS
Kolkata, Oct 2 (IANS) Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee Sunday rubbished reports that he had offered to resign over his ministry’s note on the 2G issue.
“These are all bunkum. If you don’t have any serious question then I am sorry,” Mukherjee said, in response to queries whether he had offered to resign over the controversy over the note on 2G issue to Prime Minister’s office.
Last week the Congress-led government buried a flaming row over a finance ministry note that linked Home Minister P. Chidambaram to the 2G scandal, with Mukherjee denying the document reflected his views on the 2008 spectrum allocation.
In a bid to show that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) was united, Mukherjee read out a prepared statement outside his North Block office. He was flanked by a grave-looking Chidambaram and cabinet ministers Salman Khurshid and Kapil Sibal.
A political storm brewed in Delhi for the last few weeks after a note sent to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) by finance ministry in March suggested that the spectrum allocation could have been auctioned had Chidambaram, as the then finance minister, insisted on this.
Since the note became public, Chidambaram has been under attack for alleged links with the spectrum scandal that has landed a former cabinet minister and several others in prison. The opposition asked him to quit.
- Truce, says UPA as Pranab, Chidambaram close ranks - Sep 29, 2011
- Finance ministry note not a big issue, says Khurshid - Sep 26, 2011
- Khurshid, Narayanswamy meet Pranab on 2G issue - Sep 27, 2011
- Pranab returns from US visit, silent on 2G note (Lead) - Sep 26, 2011
- Fresh 2G note trouble for UPA government - Nov 01, 2011
- Opposition has no grounds to boycott Chidambaram: Khurshid - Nov 22, 2011
- 2G note: Pranab meets PM, Sonia - Nov 02, 2011
- JPC gets into 2G saga, PM backs Chidambaram - Sep 28, 2011
- Sonia seeks to quell 2G controversy; meets Chidambaram, Pranab - Sep 26, 2011
- Explain differences between ministers on 2G, BJP demands - Oct 03, 2011
- Congress defends Chidambaram on 2G scam - Sep 22, 2011
- No differences in cabinet, says Antony - Sep 27, 2011
- Chidambaram jokes his way out of 2G queries - Sep 30, 2011
- Raja was not lying on Chidambaram role in 2G: DMK - Sep 22, 2011
- DMK guarded as Jayalalithaa calls for Chidambaram's ouster - Sep 22, 2011
Tags: bunkum, cabinet minister, cabinet ministers, controversy, finance ministry, home minister, kapil sibal, khurshid, opposition, p chidambaram, pmo, political storm, pranab mukherjee, prepared statement, prime minister, progressive alliance, scandal, spectrum allocation, union finance minister, UPA