navanavonmilita
2010-05-24 13:14:02 UTC
India, A Scadal-Raj-A: Sid Harth
http://navanavonmilita.wordpress.com/india-a-scandal-raj-a-sid-harth/
Of Dalliances and Unholy-Alliances: Sid Harth
http://navanavonmilita.wordpress.com/of-dalliances-and-unholy-alliances-sid-harth-14/
Ranchi, May 24, 2010 Jharkhand Governor summons Shibu Soren
PTI
BJP leader and former Jharkhand chief minister Arjun Munda briefs the
media after handing over the letter withdrawing support to the Shibu
Soren government to Governor M.O.H. Farooq, at the Raj Bhavan in
Ranchi on Monday. Photo: Manob Chowdhury
Jharkhand Governor M. O. H. Farooq on Monday asked Chief Minister
Shibu Soren to meet him in the wake of the withdrawal of support to
his government by the BJP.
Mr. Soren has been asked to meet the Governor at 5.30 pm, Raj Bhavan
sources said.
Keywords: Jharkhand, Political crisis, JMM, Shibu Soren, BJP
http://beta.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article437018.ece
Hyderabad, May 24, 2010 Ready to face probe over 2G spectrum scandal:
Raja
PTI
PTI Telecom Minister A. Raja. File photo
Union Communications Minister A. Raja has said he was ready to face
any investigation into the alleged scandal in allocation of 2G
spectrum.
Reacting to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s assertion that action
would be initiated against the Telecom Minister if he was found guilty
in the 2G spectrum scam, Mr. Raja said, “It is universal truth that
action will be taken against anyone found guilty (of corruption). I am
ready for any investigation but such an inquiry should get to the root
of the issue.”
Replying to questions by newsmen on the sidelines of the World
Telecommunications Development Conference-2010, which he inaugurated
at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre here today, Mr. Raja
said all 2G spectrum allocations were made in accordance with the
rules framed by the NDA government.
“We strictly went by those rules and recommendations of the Telecom
Regulatory Authority of India. I am being targeted only because I
broke the cartel in the telecom sector,” he said.
He said TRAI recommendations on 2G spectrum allocation were currently
being reviewed by the Union Finance Minister and the Prime Minister’s
Office.
Replying to a question, Mr. Raja said there was no comparison between
2G and 3G auctions.
“2G is like PDS rice while 3G is Basmati rice,” he remarked.
Keywords: A. Raja, 2G spectrum scan, 3G spectrum
http://beta.thehindu.com/business/Economy/article436998.ece
May 22, 2010 ‘I am no friend of any operator’
R. K. Radhakrishnan
A. Raja: “The irony is that the person who took the decision to price
the spectrum that was allocated beyond 6.2 MHz is being accused of
giving it away for a song!” Photo : R. Ragu Related
A. Raja defends his Ministry's actions and wards off charges that 2G
spectrum auctions caused losses to the exchequer.
Union Communications and Information Technology Minister A. Raja says
he has achieved what he had wanted to achieve as a Minister: herald a
telecommunications revolution in the country. In an interview to The
Hindu in New Delhi on Friday, he defends the decisions his Ministry
took on 2G spectrum allocation, expresses his confidence about
bringing call rates down to 10 paise a minute, and outlines plans to
reinvigorate BSNL and MTNL.
Soon after you were appointed Communications and Information
Technology Minister, you said you would herald a telecom and
technology revolution in the country. How have you fared so far?
In 2007, when I took over this Ministry, on an average 75 lakh
telephone connections were being added each month. In 2009 this
increased to 1.2 crore connections a month.
After I came back as Telecom Minister [in UPA-II], the number rose to
two crore a month. You should remember that the government's target
was to provide 60 crore connections by 2012. We achieved this in March
2010 itself.
In a span of just one year, tele-density has leaped from 39 per cent
in 2009 to 53 per cent now. Phone tariffs in India are among the
lowest in the world because of the policies of my Ministry. When
prices of all other commodities are increasing, only telephone call
rates are coming down. I told you in 2007 that I will get STD call
rates down to 25 paise. This has been achieved. I assure you that
local call rates will soon be reduced further to 10 paise. This is
nothing short of a miracle.
You've also seen the 3G auction. I told you two years ago that we will
get in excess of Rs.40,000 crore. The auction exceeded our
expectations and is an indication of the phenomenal growth that will
take place in the coming decade.
Through the postal department, we have introduced India's largest
micro life insurance policy. The department is more focused on its
core competence and is taking on competition through a process of
skill development, computerisation, and innovative products.
In IT, the biggest achievement has been setting up the national
knowledge network that connects all universities, libraries, hospitals
and agricultural institutions. The massive expansion of the national e-
governance programme has been a boon to remote and far-flung villages.
I can go on listing…
But the Opposition is not impressed. The BJP and the CPI(M) want you
out of office because they say your policies on 2G spectrum led to
serious losses to the exchequer. They are basing this on the 3G
auction prices…
Let me explain chronologically. The National Telecom Policy 1999 was
framed by the NDA government. It laid down that the 2G spectrum has to
be allotted on revenue share basis since the 1994 policy [of
auctioning] failed miserably. The operators who bought the spectrum
and the licences at that time went to court on the grounds that they
were unable to pay and sought a direction to government to bail them
out. The court directed the government to consider. In 1999, the
government devised a policy that favoured the revenue route over that
of the auction route.
Policy-wise, 2G is connected to the common man because it is a basic
service meant for public health purposes, education and a valuable
tool for improvement of rural economy. 3G is for the business
community and for entertainment.
From the point of revenue, let me first assert that there is no loss.
One section of the media and some vested interests in the [telecom]
industry are wilfully and wantonly suppressing the fact that we have
made over Rs.70,000 crore as revenue from 2G because we adopted the
revenue route. As the subscriber base grows each year, we'll make
upwards of Rs.15,000 crore every year.
The other question is this: If 3G auction issue went to EGoM
[Empowered Group of Ministers], why not 2G. On the face of it, this
question seems legitimate. But you have to remember that only when
there is a difference of opinion between two Ministries, does this
happen. In this case, I referred the issue to the Prime Minister and
requested him to constitute an EGoM because there was a difference of
opinion on fixing the base price for 3G.
In the case of 2G there was no such issue. The “no cap” policy [number
of operators per circle] was endorsed by the Telecom Commission in
which Ministries of Finance and Industry are represented. It also has
a Planning Commission member. Since there was no deviation from the
existing policy, and since the recommendations of TRAI were approved
by the Commission, there was no reason to refer it to the Prime
Minister to constitute an EGoM.
With due respect to the leaders of the Opposition parties, the
comparison between 2G and 3G is odious and irrational.
But TRAI had recommended that the 3G auction price should be applied
for 2G spectrum too. Will the Department of Telecommunications and
your Ministry accept this recommendation?
TRAI, in its latest report, has reiterated that the starting spectrum
for an operator [up to 6.2 megahertz] should not be auctioned. The
question of pricing and rental beyond 6.2 MHz is what is being
considered by TRAI. Right now, TRAI is having further discussions on
this issue based on the efficiency and scarcity value of 3G. Once TRAI
makes a recommendation we will take a decision after discussions in
the Telecom Commission. I've allocated only 4.4 MHz each to
operators.
Is there a reluctance to price 2G spectrum beyond 6.2 MHz because all
those who hold the spectrum are very big operators?
You should remember that there is no contractual obligation on the
part of the government to give additional spectrum to any operator
beyond 6.2 MHz. I'm the first Minister who raised the question as to
why we should give spectrum free to any operator. I referred the
matter to TRAI, and in my communication I told them that we have to
charge up front for allocation over 6.2 MHz. The irony is that the
person who took the decision to price the spectrum that was allocated
beyond 6.2 MHz is being accused of giving it away for a song!
I'm no friend of any operator. Some people might have been annoyed
that a cartel was being broken and some others might have been
irritated that their monopoly for about a quarter of a century was
being taken away. This is a natural commercial instinct. I must face
the consequences. The Prime Minister knows this very well. Had I not
done this, I would not have faced any problem. When this was raised in
Parliament, I said, “I don't want to be a stagnant, stinking pool…Only
flowing water generates current.” Not only that. I've recorded in
Parliament that I'm the only Minister of this Department to have
displayed the available spectrum bandwidth details on the website.
This might have caused certain setbacks commercially to some in the
industry. I'm being targeted for that reason too.
The CBI, the CVC and even the CAG are investigating the 2G spectrum
allocation. You say you followed existing policy. Then why is every
investigating agency at your door step?
No Minister is beyond scrutiny. Simply because your blood has been
offered to a lab, voluntarily or involuntarily, no one can conclude
that you have a chronic disease with stigma.
Again let me explain. There are four issues: One, is it fair to issue
and allocate spectrum bandwidth in 2008 at the same licence fee of Rs.
1,650 crore determined in 2001? Two, is it the right policy to have
adopted ‘first-come first-served' basis? Three, why did you not
auction 2G spectrum bandwidth allocation? And, four, does it not cause
loss of revenue to the government as these firms that got the licence
and the spectrum sold their shares at a higher price? I have
repeatedly replied to these questions inside and outside Parliament.
The amount of Rs.1,650 crore was determined by TRAI as licence fee in
2001, and new licences were issued at the same price even 40 days
prior to my taking charge of this Ministry. This was because TRAI did
not give any new recommendations after 2001. But it continued to
enhance the share in the adjusted gross revenue every year. Due to
this, an annual revenue of about Rs.15,000 crore was accruing to the
government.
The second criticism is about our following the ‘first-come-first
served' policy. In 1999, the Cabinet decided not to auction spectrum
bandwidth and preferred revenue-sharing method. Since then, right
through the tenure of Pramod Mahajan, Arun Shourie, till the tenure of
Dayanidhi Maran, this policy continued.
There's no other option when there is no scope for auction. Hence, the
same method was adopted during my tenure also. I've recorded this in
Parliament in the presence of Arun Shourie. No one has denied this and
no one can dispute it.
The third criticism is about non-auctioning of spectrum bandwidth. In
2007, the Telecom Commission accepted the recommendations of TRAI,
which stated that it is not fair to go for auctioning to maintain a
level playing-field as we have allocated spectrum without auction to
the existing operators from 1999. The government too accepted and
implemented it.
The fourth criticism is about the disposal of shares by the new firms
that got the allotment. Normally, the Finance Ministry monitors such
matters and takes an effort to establish whether it is right or wrong.
After scrutiny of both Swan and Unitech at the hands of the Finance
Ministry, the Cabinet Committee has approved its finding that these
firms have not sold their shares but only diluted the shares to get
FDI to raise towers and other infrastructure, well within the legal
framework for promoting their business. Neither my Department nor I
have any role in it. When this issue was raised for the first time, I
discussed this with the Prime Minister and the then Finance Minister,
P. Chidambaram. The Finance Ministry is also of the firm view that
shares have not been sold. Even after deliberating several times, the
criticism against it is continuing. Is it out of ignorance or
annoyance, or [is it a] systematic, politically motivated,
disinformation campaign? It's for anyone to infer.
You've been promising number portability and the deadlines seem to be
shifting every time. When will we have number portability?
Number portability is getting delayed because of problems in the
import of equipment, and national security concerns. I'm continuously
monitoring the situation. I'm confident that we'll have number
portability by July.
BSNL and MTNL have been on the wane for a few years now. The Ministry
does not appear to have done much to arrest the slide…
It's a fact that BSNL's revenues are down. This is because of the
intense competition, our delayed reaction time, endless litigation,
the implications of the Sixth Pay Commission and huge delays in our
tendering process. We're simply not able to react and move ahead.
Add to this our social obligations. We're the only ones that service
the remotest of corners of our country. No private company of
comparable size has the staff strength that we have. They do not have
the social obligation we have when it comes to employment. We also
have to service a huge number of landlines across the country and most
of these are in places which have no other form of communication.
It is to promote BSNL and MTNL that I pushed to give them 3G spectrum
ahead of everyone else. We've also given them WiMax ahead of the
others. We're constantly exploring avenues so that BSNL and MTNL can
turn the corner.
Keywords: Telecom Minister, A. Raja, 3G spectrum, 2G, mobile operator
http://beta.thehindu.com/opinion/interview/article435348.ece
NEW DELHI, May 21, 2010 Government got Rs. 70,000 crore from 2G
spectrum: Raja
R. K. Radhakrishnan
Union Minister for Communications and Information Technology A. Raja
on Friday defended the decisions his Ministry took on the allocation
of 2G spectrum, saying that the Union government had made over Rs.
70,000 crore from the allocation by adopting the revenue-sharing
route.
“As the subscriber base grows each year, we'll make upwards of Rs.
15,000 crore every year,” he told The Hindu in an interview here.
Mr. Raja said he was “delighted” over the revenue generated by the
latest auctioning of the 3G spectrum. “It'll be forgotten now that it
was I who took the dusted files out of the cupboard and began the
process. You can check when the TRAI recommendation on 3G arrived at
the Ministry, and when and who took the decision.”
He said the 2G operators would have to pay more. There was no escape
for operators from paying more for spectrum held in excess of 6.2 MHz.
He said he would push ahead with the move to charge for spectrum
allocated beyond 6.2 MHz. He and his officials were in touch with the
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India on this.
The Minister added: “I'm the first Minister who raised the question as
to why we should give spectrum free to any operator. I referred the
matter to TRAI, and in my communication I told them that we have to
charge up front for allocation over 6.2 MHz.”
Number portability
The Minister said he was confident that number portability across
mobile telephone networks would be made possible by July this year.
“Number portability is getting delayed because of problems in the
import of equipment and national security concerns. I'm continuously
monitoring the situation. I'm confident that we will have number
portability by July,” he said.
This major initiative will enable subscribers to move across different
service providers while retaining their phone number. Targets set
earlier for the introduction of the system could not be met.
Mr. Raja said there were legitimate concerns on the security front
that needed to be discussed before number portability was implemented.
A large part of this related to the sourcing of equipment. His
Ministry was in touch with the Home Ministry and was in the process of
sorting out the issues that stood in the way.
Keywords: 3G spectrum, auction, Department of Telecom, Telecom
Minister A. Raja
http://beta.thehindu.com/news/national/article435245.ece
NEW DELHI, May 20, 2010 Raja is exposed, says CPI(M)
Special Correspondent
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Thursday demanded the
resignation of Communications Minister A. Raja, saying the vast
difference in the prices garnered for 3G spectrum and the 2G spectrum
“convincingly proved” that he was “involved in corrupt practices by
selling 2G spectrum to some industrialists by manipulating TRAI
[Telecom Regulatory Authority of India] recommendations.”
In a statement, the CPI(M) pointed out that whereas Rs. 70,000 crore
was promised in the 3G auction, 2G was sold for just Rs. 2,000 crore.
This proved that “Mr. Raja had done so by blatantly violating the law,
causing a huge loss to the public exchequer. Despite repeated demands
made in Parliament and outside, he is nonchalantly continuing to stick
to his position. Such a situation cannot be allowed to be continued.”
“The CPI(M) demands that Mr. Raja immediately resign from his post
pending a high-power enquiry into the entire 2G spectrum scam. If the
Minister refuses to resign, the Prime Minister should sack him to
maintain the dignity of the high post Mr. Raja is holding in the
government,” the statement said.
Keywords: A Raja, 3G spectrum, CPI(M), TRAI
http://beta.thehindu.com/news/national/article434710.ece
New Delhi, May 20, 2010 Raja should be sacked: Left
PTI
Left parties on Thursday demanded the sacking of Telecom Minister A.
Raja alleging that the 3G spectrum auction “convincingly” proved his
involvement in “corrupt practices” in the sale of 2G spectrum.
In a statement, the CPI(M) Polit Bureau said “the outcome of the 3G
spectrum auction convincingly proves that Union Communication Minister
A Raja was clearly involved in corrupt practices by selling 2G
spectrum to some industrialists by manipulating TRAI recommendations.
“Whereas 3G spectrum could fetch Rs 70,000 crore, 2G spectrum was sold
at a paltry sum of Rs 2,000 crore only. Raja had done so by blatantly
violating the law causing a huge loss to the public exchequer,” it
said.
Demanding that he should quit his post immediately pending a high
level inquiry into the 2G spectrum scam, the party said, “If the
minister refuses to resign, the Prime Minister should sack him to
maintain the dignity of the high post Raja is holding in the
Government.”
Maintaining that despite repeated demands made in Parliament and
outside, Raja has “nonchalantly’ continued to stick to his position,
the CPI(M) said, “such a situation cannot be allowed to be
continued.”
Forward Bloc General Secretary Debabrata Biswas said that it was
“crystal clear” now that there was a “serious” scam in the 2G
auction.
“Raja should not only be removed but the government should carry out
an investigation to make it clear who all were responsible because it
is a national loss,” he said.
CPI National Secretary D Raja said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh owes
an explanation to the nation on the matter.
“Raja has been maintaining that he had informed the Prime Minister
about everything. So the Prime Minister should explain to the nation
what happened,” he said.
Keywords: Spectrum scam, A. Raja, CPI (M), 2G auction, TRAI
http://beta.thehindu.com/news/national/article434191.ece
NEW DELHI, May 7, 2010 JPC probe sought into 2G spectrum issue
Aarti DharK. V. Prasad
PTI AIADMK members disrupting Lok Sabha proceedings on the 2G spectrum
allocation controversy, in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.
Demand to keep A. Raja out of the Ministry
The 2G spectrum allocation controversy figured in both Houses of
Parliament with the AIADMK members, supported by the BJP, demanding a
Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the issue. They also
demanded a statement from the government on the matter.
In the Lok Sabha, AIADMK member M. Thambidurai asked Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh to take the issue seriously and order a JPC probe. He
said Telecom Minister A. Raja should be “kept out of the Ministry''
till a JPC probe is held and the ongoing investigation by the CBI is
completed.
Mr. Thambidurai pointed out that the Leader of the House and Finance
Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who was present, had promised that the
government would respond to various issues raised by the Opposition,
including 2G spectrum allocation. Mr. Thambidurai was supported in his
demand by BJP members.
He alleged that the country had lost Rs. 1 lakh crore in the
allocation of 2G spectrum during 2007-08. This led to a clash between
members of the AIADMK, supported by the BJP, and the DMK.
Mr. Thambidurai said the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had
noted that Rs. 26,000 crore had been lost “because of wrong-doing by
this [Telecom] Ministry.” He said even the Central Vigilance
Commission (CVC) had pointed out that Raja's policy of giving 2G
spectrum on ‘first-come-first-served' basis resulted in allocation at
cheap rates which was “not acceptable.”
On the CVC's order, the CBI lodged an FIR under Section 120 (B) of the
Cr.PC and under the Prevention of Corruption Act, Mr. Thambidurai
said, adding that the CBI had subsequently raided some “benami
companies.''
DMK leader T.R. Baalu, who repeatedly interrupted Mr. Thambidurai,
insisted that no allegations should be levelled against the Minister
against whom no case has been lodged.
Speaker Meira Kumar assured Mr. Baalu that she would go through the
records and expunge anything objectionable. In the ensuing melee, Ms.
Kumar adjourned the House for an hour.
In the Rajya Sabha, the AIADMK members forced a brief adjournment
before staging a walkout demanding Mr. Raja's dismissal from the Union
Cabinet.
As soon as the House met for the day, the AIADMK members displayed CDs
and newspapers carrying purported taped conversation with Mr. Raja and
public relations lobbyist Nira Radia. Chairman Hamid Ansari asked
members not to show CDs or display newspapers before adjourning the
House for 10 minutes. Post-adjournment the AIADMK members again raised
the issue before staging a walkout.
Earlier, when the Lok Sabha assembled in the morning, the BJP tendered
unconditional apology for alleged remarks of its member Ananth Kumar
in the Lok Sabha against Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Lalu Prasad
during the Census 2011 debate.
As soon as the House met for the day, Leader of the Opposition Sushma
Swaraj said: “I unconditionally apologise for the remarks made by
Ananth Kumar yesterday [Wednesday.]'' When Mr. Prasad sought to
intervene, Ms. Swaraj said in a lighter vein that she apologised on
behalf of Mr. Prasad also.
Keywords: 2G spectrum allocation controversy, JPC probe, Parliament
debate, A. Raja, AIADMK, DMK
http://beta.thehindu.com/news/national/article423854.ece
CHENNAI, May 7, 2010 Karunanidhi playing Dalit card: Jayalalithaa
Special Correspondent
AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa
AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa has alleged that Tamil Nadu
Chief Minister and DMK president M. Karunanidhi was trying to
trivialise the telecom scam that allegedly involves Telecommunications
Minister A. Raja by playing the caste card.
In a statement here on Thursday, Ms. Jayalalithaa said Mr. Karunanidhi
had “shamelessly played the Dalit card” to neutralise the Dalit
leaders who, in Parliament, were demanding Mr. Raja's resignation.
She said Mr. Karunanidhi did not address any of the issues raised in
connection with the scam. Instead, he chose to criticise the
Opposition for raising all pertinent issues, on the ground that Mr.
Raja is a Dalit. His aim was to deflect people's attention from the
scam, she added.
Keywords: Spectrum controversy, A. Raja, AIADMK, Dalit Minister,
Jayalalithaa, Karunanidhi, DMK
http://beta.thehindu.com/news/article423488.ece
NEW DELHI, May 3, 2010 Dominant forces maligning Raja, says
Karunanidhi
Special Correspondent
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi. File Photo.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on Monday alleged that
“dominant forces” were indulging in a malicious campaign against Union
Communication and Information Technology Minister and DMK MP A. Raja
on the 2G Spectrum issue just because he was “a Dalit.”
“Raja oru Dalit aaga irukkira karanathal aadhikka sakthigal avar
meethu indha avadhooru parappikondirrukirargal.”
The Chief Minister, however, refused to take more questions on the
issue when journalists asked him about the controversy, which created
a lot of disturbance in Parliament over the last few days, with the
Opposition parties firm on the ousting of Mr. Raja from the Cabinet.
He also did not elaborate on who the dominant forces were.
He earlier had a meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and
Congress president Sonia Gandhi here.
Mr. Karunanidhi remarked on Sunday that he had not brought any good
news when journalists asked him whether Mr. Raja would continue in the
Cabinet.
“Not shielding him”
The Congress on Monday denied shielding Mr. Raja on his alleged
involvement in the 2G spectrum allocation, saying that the Opposition
was only making allegations against him.
“He is not even an accused. These allegations were discussed in
Parliament earlier and are being revived now,'' party spokesperson
Abhishek Manu Singhvi told reporters. Mr. Raja is not even in the
realm of credible evidence, he said, adding that since the Minister
was not from the Congress, it could not speak for him.
Mr. Singhvi charged the Bharatiya Janata Party with “hypocrisy'' and
“double standards'' by referring to several of its senior Ministers in
Karnataka facing criminal charges. “How many of them have even offered
to resign except for the one on Sunday which was mere tokenism,'' he
said.
The United Progressive Alliance had shown exemplary standards of
morality, he said.
On the breakdown of the Congress-Trinamool tie-up for the West Bengal
municipal elections, Mr. Singhvi said the coalition at the Centre and
for the Assembly elections was strong. “This should be no reflection
on the relations at the Centre.''
Keywords: M. Karunanidhi, A. Raja, dominant forces, 2G spectrum
Comments:
It has become a habit of T.Nadu CM to play the Dalit card whenever his
partymen are accused of corruption and mis-use of public office. It is
beginning to look that if one is a Dalit he is licenced to kill, like
James Bond ! Are Dalits above the Civil and Criminal Procedure Code ?
Sashi Tharoor must be regretting that he was not born a Dalit, for, in
that case, he would have been happily continuing as Union Minister !
from: V. Vedagiri
Posted on: May 4, 2010 at 13:04 IST
Mr Karunanidhi says that Mr Raja is targetted by dominant forces
because of his dalit background. What a comment! According to media
reports, Dr Manmohan Singh was said to have written a letter to Mr
Raja objecting to the ways and means adopted for allotting 2G spectrum
allotment. So does Mr Karunanidhi consider Dr Singh part of the
dominant force? There should be some limit to such senseless
statements. Rather it has become the habit of politicians to indulge
in these sort of cheap and dirty politics when they are caught. It is
unfortunate that when he says this sort of comments, no journalist is
questioning Karunanidhi back about this worthless comments.
from: S.R. MURALIDHARAN
Posted on: May 4, 2010 at 13:39 IST
This is ridiculous. What does being dalit have anything to do with
corruption accusations?. I wonder why any of these politicians when
they gain fame & power dont credit their caste, but remember the caste
when accused of wrongdoing.
from: Sridhar
Posted on: May 5, 2010 at 11:27 IST
I think the statement is one of the kind which Mr.Karunanidh makes to
divert the attention from the actual point to something else and keep
the cloud calm.
or i would say one of the many excuses he has in list to divert
attention.
Being dalit does not mean that they wont involve in such scam. Any
human being with corrupted background will involve in corruption.
A clear case analysis is required in this matter and legal actions
should be taken against Mr.Raja if this proved against him.
from: Maha
Posted on: May 20, 2010 at 14:46 IST
http://beta.thehindu.com/news/national/article420957.ece
New Delhi, May 24, 2010 Raja followed NDA policy on telecom licence:
Manmohan
PTI
Telecom Minister A. Raja speaks during the World Telecom Development
Conference 2010, in Hyderabad on Monday. Photo: K. Ramesh Babu Related
PHOTOS
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday defended Telecom Minister A.
Raja, under attack for an alleged scam in granting licences in 2008,
saying he had only followed the policies of the previous NDA
government.
At the same time, he dismissed suggestions for Mr. Raja’s removal from
the Cabinet, saying ”...Pending the investigations it is not proper
for me to express any definitive opinion.”
Citing the success of 3G spectrum auction, which would fetch the
government over Rs 67,700 crore as against about Rs 10,000 crore that
the exchequer got from new 2G licences in 2008, the opposition has
been asking for Mr. Raja’s resignation saying the scam caused a loss
of up to Rs 1 lakh crore to the exchequer.
Answering a query at the first national press conference of the UPA-
II, Mr. Singh said: “I have also discussed this issue with Raja... he
has told me that what he did was, implemented the policies which were
in place since 2003.”
Mr. Singh said Mr. Raja, who reprsents the DMK in the Union Cabinet,
has also made his position clear in Parliament and also in the media.
The Prime Minister, however, admitted that there is a huge gap in the
revenue generation from 2G licences (given by Mr. Raja in 2008)
compared to a whopping Rs 67,700 crore from the auction of 3G spectrum
sale that concluded only last week.
“I think one has to look at the whole problem in proper perspective.
There was a particular policy which was in place since 2003 before our
government came into power,” Mr. Singh said, adding that Mr. Raja’s
point was that it would amount to discrimination if different
yardsticks were applied for the new entrants.
Pointing that the whole issue was being investigated and the CVC has
asked the CBI to look into this and the process is on, he said and
assured: “If I come to know that there is any involvement at any level
in corruption, we will take action.”
The pricing for 2G spectrum was based on policies that were already in
place and had approvals of telecom regulator TRAI, he said.
Nine new companies including Unitech, Shyam Sistema, Datacom, S Tel
and Loop Telecom were given licences in 2008 and pan-India licence was
then offered at Rs 1,658 crore along with start-up 4.4 MHz spectrum.
Anil Ambani-led RCom and Tata Teleservices were allowed to offer
mobile services on both technology platforms — GSM and CDMA.
Keywords: Manmohan Singh, UPA-II, first anniversary, A. Raja, 2G, 3G
spectrum
http://beta.thehindu.com/news/national/article436777.ece?homepage=true
..and I am Sid Harth
http://navanavonmilita.wordpress.com/india-a-scandal-raj-a-sid-harth/
Of Dalliances and Unholy-Alliances: Sid Harth
http://navanavonmilita.wordpress.com/of-dalliances-and-unholy-alliances-sid-harth-14/
Ranchi, May 24, 2010 Jharkhand Governor summons Shibu Soren
PTI
BJP leader and former Jharkhand chief minister Arjun Munda briefs the
media after handing over the letter withdrawing support to the Shibu
Soren government to Governor M.O.H. Farooq, at the Raj Bhavan in
Ranchi on Monday. Photo: Manob Chowdhury
Jharkhand Governor M. O. H. Farooq on Monday asked Chief Minister
Shibu Soren to meet him in the wake of the withdrawal of support to
his government by the BJP.
Mr. Soren has been asked to meet the Governor at 5.30 pm, Raj Bhavan
sources said.
Keywords: Jharkhand, Political crisis, JMM, Shibu Soren, BJP
http://beta.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article437018.ece
Hyderabad, May 24, 2010 Ready to face probe over 2G spectrum scandal:
Raja
PTI
PTI Telecom Minister A. Raja. File photo
Union Communications Minister A. Raja has said he was ready to face
any investigation into the alleged scandal in allocation of 2G
spectrum.
Reacting to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s assertion that action
would be initiated against the Telecom Minister if he was found guilty
in the 2G spectrum scam, Mr. Raja said, “It is universal truth that
action will be taken against anyone found guilty (of corruption). I am
ready for any investigation but such an inquiry should get to the root
of the issue.”
Replying to questions by newsmen on the sidelines of the World
Telecommunications Development Conference-2010, which he inaugurated
at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre here today, Mr. Raja
said all 2G spectrum allocations were made in accordance with the
rules framed by the NDA government.
“We strictly went by those rules and recommendations of the Telecom
Regulatory Authority of India. I am being targeted only because I
broke the cartel in the telecom sector,” he said.
He said TRAI recommendations on 2G spectrum allocation were currently
being reviewed by the Union Finance Minister and the Prime Minister’s
Office.
Replying to a question, Mr. Raja said there was no comparison between
2G and 3G auctions.
“2G is like PDS rice while 3G is Basmati rice,” he remarked.
Keywords: A. Raja, 2G spectrum scan, 3G spectrum
http://beta.thehindu.com/business/Economy/article436998.ece
May 22, 2010 ‘I am no friend of any operator’
R. K. Radhakrishnan
A. Raja: “The irony is that the person who took the decision to price
the spectrum that was allocated beyond 6.2 MHz is being accused of
giving it away for a song!” Photo : R. Ragu Related
A. Raja defends his Ministry's actions and wards off charges that 2G
spectrum auctions caused losses to the exchequer.
Union Communications and Information Technology Minister A. Raja says
he has achieved what he had wanted to achieve as a Minister: herald a
telecommunications revolution in the country. In an interview to The
Hindu in New Delhi on Friday, he defends the decisions his Ministry
took on 2G spectrum allocation, expresses his confidence about
bringing call rates down to 10 paise a minute, and outlines plans to
reinvigorate BSNL and MTNL.
Soon after you were appointed Communications and Information
Technology Minister, you said you would herald a telecom and
technology revolution in the country. How have you fared so far?
In 2007, when I took over this Ministry, on an average 75 lakh
telephone connections were being added each month. In 2009 this
increased to 1.2 crore connections a month.
After I came back as Telecom Minister [in UPA-II], the number rose to
two crore a month. You should remember that the government's target
was to provide 60 crore connections by 2012. We achieved this in March
2010 itself.
In a span of just one year, tele-density has leaped from 39 per cent
in 2009 to 53 per cent now. Phone tariffs in India are among the
lowest in the world because of the policies of my Ministry. When
prices of all other commodities are increasing, only telephone call
rates are coming down. I told you in 2007 that I will get STD call
rates down to 25 paise. This has been achieved. I assure you that
local call rates will soon be reduced further to 10 paise. This is
nothing short of a miracle.
You've also seen the 3G auction. I told you two years ago that we will
get in excess of Rs.40,000 crore. The auction exceeded our
expectations and is an indication of the phenomenal growth that will
take place in the coming decade.
Through the postal department, we have introduced India's largest
micro life insurance policy. The department is more focused on its
core competence and is taking on competition through a process of
skill development, computerisation, and innovative products.
In IT, the biggest achievement has been setting up the national
knowledge network that connects all universities, libraries, hospitals
and agricultural institutions. The massive expansion of the national e-
governance programme has been a boon to remote and far-flung villages.
I can go on listing…
But the Opposition is not impressed. The BJP and the CPI(M) want you
out of office because they say your policies on 2G spectrum led to
serious losses to the exchequer. They are basing this on the 3G
auction prices…
Let me explain chronologically. The National Telecom Policy 1999 was
framed by the NDA government. It laid down that the 2G spectrum has to
be allotted on revenue share basis since the 1994 policy [of
auctioning] failed miserably. The operators who bought the spectrum
and the licences at that time went to court on the grounds that they
were unable to pay and sought a direction to government to bail them
out. The court directed the government to consider. In 1999, the
government devised a policy that favoured the revenue route over that
of the auction route.
Policy-wise, 2G is connected to the common man because it is a basic
service meant for public health purposes, education and a valuable
tool for improvement of rural economy. 3G is for the business
community and for entertainment.
From the point of revenue, let me first assert that there is no loss.
One section of the media and some vested interests in the [telecom]
industry are wilfully and wantonly suppressing the fact that we have
made over Rs.70,000 crore as revenue from 2G because we adopted the
revenue route. As the subscriber base grows each year, we'll make
upwards of Rs.15,000 crore every year.
The other question is this: If 3G auction issue went to EGoM
[Empowered Group of Ministers], why not 2G. On the face of it, this
question seems legitimate. But you have to remember that only when
there is a difference of opinion between two Ministries, does this
happen. In this case, I referred the issue to the Prime Minister and
requested him to constitute an EGoM because there was a difference of
opinion on fixing the base price for 3G.
In the case of 2G there was no such issue. The “no cap” policy [number
of operators per circle] was endorsed by the Telecom Commission in
which Ministries of Finance and Industry are represented. It also has
a Planning Commission member. Since there was no deviation from the
existing policy, and since the recommendations of TRAI were approved
by the Commission, there was no reason to refer it to the Prime
Minister to constitute an EGoM.
With due respect to the leaders of the Opposition parties, the
comparison between 2G and 3G is odious and irrational.
But TRAI had recommended that the 3G auction price should be applied
for 2G spectrum too. Will the Department of Telecommunications and
your Ministry accept this recommendation?
TRAI, in its latest report, has reiterated that the starting spectrum
for an operator [up to 6.2 megahertz] should not be auctioned. The
question of pricing and rental beyond 6.2 MHz is what is being
considered by TRAI. Right now, TRAI is having further discussions on
this issue based on the efficiency and scarcity value of 3G. Once TRAI
makes a recommendation we will take a decision after discussions in
the Telecom Commission. I've allocated only 4.4 MHz each to
operators.
Is there a reluctance to price 2G spectrum beyond 6.2 MHz because all
those who hold the spectrum are very big operators?
You should remember that there is no contractual obligation on the
part of the government to give additional spectrum to any operator
beyond 6.2 MHz. I'm the first Minister who raised the question as to
why we should give spectrum free to any operator. I referred the
matter to TRAI, and in my communication I told them that we have to
charge up front for allocation over 6.2 MHz. The irony is that the
person who took the decision to price the spectrum that was allocated
beyond 6.2 MHz is being accused of giving it away for a song!
I'm no friend of any operator. Some people might have been annoyed
that a cartel was being broken and some others might have been
irritated that their monopoly for about a quarter of a century was
being taken away. This is a natural commercial instinct. I must face
the consequences. The Prime Minister knows this very well. Had I not
done this, I would not have faced any problem. When this was raised in
Parliament, I said, “I don't want to be a stagnant, stinking pool…Only
flowing water generates current.” Not only that. I've recorded in
Parliament that I'm the only Minister of this Department to have
displayed the available spectrum bandwidth details on the website.
This might have caused certain setbacks commercially to some in the
industry. I'm being targeted for that reason too.
The CBI, the CVC and even the CAG are investigating the 2G spectrum
allocation. You say you followed existing policy. Then why is every
investigating agency at your door step?
No Minister is beyond scrutiny. Simply because your blood has been
offered to a lab, voluntarily or involuntarily, no one can conclude
that you have a chronic disease with stigma.
Again let me explain. There are four issues: One, is it fair to issue
and allocate spectrum bandwidth in 2008 at the same licence fee of Rs.
1,650 crore determined in 2001? Two, is it the right policy to have
adopted ‘first-come first-served' basis? Three, why did you not
auction 2G spectrum bandwidth allocation? And, four, does it not cause
loss of revenue to the government as these firms that got the licence
and the spectrum sold their shares at a higher price? I have
repeatedly replied to these questions inside and outside Parliament.
The amount of Rs.1,650 crore was determined by TRAI as licence fee in
2001, and new licences were issued at the same price even 40 days
prior to my taking charge of this Ministry. This was because TRAI did
not give any new recommendations after 2001. But it continued to
enhance the share in the adjusted gross revenue every year. Due to
this, an annual revenue of about Rs.15,000 crore was accruing to the
government.
The second criticism is about our following the ‘first-come-first
served' policy. In 1999, the Cabinet decided not to auction spectrum
bandwidth and preferred revenue-sharing method. Since then, right
through the tenure of Pramod Mahajan, Arun Shourie, till the tenure of
Dayanidhi Maran, this policy continued.
There's no other option when there is no scope for auction. Hence, the
same method was adopted during my tenure also. I've recorded this in
Parliament in the presence of Arun Shourie. No one has denied this and
no one can dispute it.
The third criticism is about non-auctioning of spectrum bandwidth. In
2007, the Telecom Commission accepted the recommendations of TRAI,
which stated that it is not fair to go for auctioning to maintain a
level playing-field as we have allocated spectrum without auction to
the existing operators from 1999. The government too accepted and
implemented it.
The fourth criticism is about the disposal of shares by the new firms
that got the allotment. Normally, the Finance Ministry monitors such
matters and takes an effort to establish whether it is right or wrong.
After scrutiny of both Swan and Unitech at the hands of the Finance
Ministry, the Cabinet Committee has approved its finding that these
firms have not sold their shares but only diluted the shares to get
FDI to raise towers and other infrastructure, well within the legal
framework for promoting their business. Neither my Department nor I
have any role in it. When this issue was raised for the first time, I
discussed this with the Prime Minister and the then Finance Minister,
P. Chidambaram. The Finance Ministry is also of the firm view that
shares have not been sold. Even after deliberating several times, the
criticism against it is continuing. Is it out of ignorance or
annoyance, or [is it a] systematic, politically motivated,
disinformation campaign? It's for anyone to infer.
You've been promising number portability and the deadlines seem to be
shifting every time. When will we have number portability?
Number portability is getting delayed because of problems in the
import of equipment, and national security concerns. I'm continuously
monitoring the situation. I'm confident that we'll have number
portability by July.
BSNL and MTNL have been on the wane for a few years now. The Ministry
does not appear to have done much to arrest the slide…
It's a fact that BSNL's revenues are down. This is because of the
intense competition, our delayed reaction time, endless litigation,
the implications of the Sixth Pay Commission and huge delays in our
tendering process. We're simply not able to react and move ahead.
Add to this our social obligations. We're the only ones that service
the remotest of corners of our country. No private company of
comparable size has the staff strength that we have. They do not have
the social obligation we have when it comes to employment. We also
have to service a huge number of landlines across the country and most
of these are in places which have no other form of communication.
It is to promote BSNL and MTNL that I pushed to give them 3G spectrum
ahead of everyone else. We've also given them WiMax ahead of the
others. We're constantly exploring avenues so that BSNL and MTNL can
turn the corner.
Keywords: Telecom Minister, A. Raja, 3G spectrum, 2G, mobile operator
http://beta.thehindu.com/opinion/interview/article435348.ece
NEW DELHI, May 21, 2010 Government got Rs. 70,000 crore from 2G
spectrum: Raja
R. K. Radhakrishnan
Union Minister for Communications and Information Technology A. Raja
on Friday defended the decisions his Ministry took on the allocation
of 2G spectrum, saying that the Union government had made over Rs.
70,000 crore from the allocation by adopting the revenue-sharing
route.
“As the subscriber base grows each year, we'll make upwards of Rs.
15,000 crore every year,” he told The Hindu in an interview here.
Mr. Raja said he was “delighted” over the revenue generated by the
latest auctioning of the 3G spectrum. “It'll be forgotten now that it
was I who took the dusted files out of the cupboard and began the
process. You can check when the TRAI recommendation on 3G arrived at
the Ministry, and when and who took the decision.”
He said the 2G operators would have to pay more. There was no escape
for operators from paying more for spectrum held in excess of 6.2 MHz.
He said he would push ahead with the move to charge for spectrum
allocated beyond 6.2 MHz. He and his officials were in touch with the
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India on this.
The Minister added: “I'm the first Minister who raised the question as
to why we should give spectrum free to any operator. I referred the
matter to TRAI, and in my communication I told them that we have to
charge up front for allocation over 6.2 MHz.”
Number portability
The Minister said he was confident that number portability across
mobile telephone networks would be made possible by July this year.
“Number portability is getting delayed because of problems in the
import of equipment and national security concerns. I'm continuously
monitoring the situation. I'm confident that we will have number
portability by July,” he said.
This major initiative will enable subscribers to move across different
service providers while retaining their phone number. Targets set
earlier for the introduction of the system could not be met.
Mr. Raja said there were legitimate concerns on the security front
that needed to be discussed before number portability was implemented.
A large part of this related to the sourcing of equipment. His
Ministry was in touch with the Home Ministry and was in the process of
sorting out the issues that stood in the way.
Keywords: 3G spectrum, auction, Department of Telecom, Telecom
Minister A. Raja
http://beta.thehindu.com/news/national/article435245.ece
NEW DELHI, May 20, 2010 Raja is exposed, says CPI(M)
Special Correspondent
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Thursday demanded the
resignation of Communications Minister A. Raja, saying the vast
difference in the prices garnered for 3G spectrum and the 2G spectrum
“convincingly proved” that he was “involved in corrupt practices by
selling 2G spectrum to some industrialists by manipulating TRAI
[Telecom Regulatory Authority of India] recommendations.”
In a statement, the CPI(M) pointed out that whereas Rs. 70,000 crore
was promised in the 3G auction, 2G was sold for just Rs. 2,000 crore.
This proved that “Mr. Raja had done so by blatantly violating the law,
causing a huge loss to the public exchequer. Despite repeated demands
made in Parliament and outside, he is nonchalantly continuing to stick
to his position. Such a situation cannot be allowed to be continued.”
“The CPI(M) demands that Mr. Raja immediately resign from his post
pending a high-power enquiry into the entire 2G spectrum scam. If the
Minister refuses to resign, the Prime Minister should sack him to
maintain the dignity of the high post Mr. Raja is holding in the
government,” the statement said.
Keywords: A Raja, 3G spectrum, CPI(M), TRAI
http://beta.thehindu.com/news/national/article434710.ece
New Delhi, May 20, 2010 Raja should be sacked: Left
PTI
Left parties on Thursday demanded the sacking of Telecom Minister A.
Raja alleging that the 3G spectrum auction “convincingly” proved his
involvement in “corrupt practices” in the sale of 2G spectrum.
In a statement, the CPI(M) Polit Bureau said “the outcome of the 3G
spectrum auction convincingly proves that Union Communication Minister
A Raja was clearly involved in corrupt practices by selling 2G
spectrum to some industrialists by manipulating TRAI recommendations.
“Whereas 3G spectrum could fetch Rs 70,000 crore, 2G spectrum was sold
at a paltry sum of Rs 2,000 crore only. Raja had done so by blatantly
violating the law causing a huge loss to the public exchequer,” it
said.
Demanding that he should quit his post immediately pending a high
level inquiry into the 2G spectrum scam, the party said, “If the
minister refuses to resign, the Prime Minister should sack him to
maintain the dignity of the high post Raja is holding in the
Government.”
Maintaining that despite repeated demands made in Parliament and
outside, Raja has “nonchalantly’ continued to stick to his position,
the CPI(M) said, “such a situation cannot be allowed to be
continued.”
Forward Bloc General Secretary Debabrata Biswas said that it was
“crystal clear” now that there was a “serious” scam in the 2G
auction.
“Raja should not only be removed but the government should carry out
an investigation to make it clear who all were responsible because it
is a national loss,” he said.
CPI National Secretary D Raja said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh owes
an explanation to the nation on the matter.
“Raja has been maintaining that he had informed the Prime Minister
about everything. So the Prime Minister should explain to the nation
what happened,” he said.
Keywords: Spectrum scam, A. Raja, CPI (M), 2G auction, TRAI
http://beta.thehindu.com/news/national/article434191.ece
NEW DELHI, May 7, 2010 JPC probe sought into 2G spectrum issue
Aarti DharK. V. Prasad
PTI AIADMK members disrupting Lok Sabha proceedings on the 2G spectrum
allocation controversy, in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.
Demand to keep A. Raja out of the Ministry
The 2G spectrum allocation controversy figured in both Houses of
Parliament with the AIADMK members, supported by the BJP, demanding a
Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the issue. They also
demanded a statement from the government on the matter.
In the Lok Sabha, AIADMK member M. Thambidurai asked Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh to take the issue seriously and order a JPC probe. He
said Telecom Minister A. Raja should be “kept out of the Ministry''
till a JPC probe is held and the ongoing investigation by the CBI is
completed.
Mr. Thambidurai pointed out that the Leader of the House and Finance
Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who was present, had promised that the
government would respond to various issues raised by the Opposition,
including 2G spectrum allocation. Mr. Thambidurai was supported in his
demand by BJP members.
He alleged that the country had lost Rs. 1 lakh crore in the
allocation of 2G spectrum during 2007-08. This led to a clash between
members of the AIADMK, supported by the BJP, and the DMK.
Mr. Thambidurai said the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had
noted that Rs. 26,000 crore had been lost “because of wrong-doing by
this [Telecom] Ministry.” He said even the Central Vigilance
Commission (CVC) had pointed out that Raja's policy of giving 2G
spectrum on ‘first-come-first-served' basis resulted in allocation at
cheap rates which was “not acceptable.”
On the CVC's order, the CBI lodged an FIR under Section 120 (B) of the
Cr.PC and under the Prevention of Corruption Act, Mr. Thambidurai
said, adding that the CBI had subsequently raided some “benami
companies.''
DMK leader T.R. Baalu, who repeatedly interrupted Mr. Thambidurai,
insisted that no allegations should be levelled against the Minister
against whom no case has been lodged.
Speaker Meira Kumar assured Mr. Baalu that she would go through the
records and expunge anything objectionable. In the ensuing melee, Ms.
Kumar adjourned the House for an hour.
In the Rajya Sabha, the AIADMK members forced a brief adjournment
before staging a walkout demanding Mr. Raja's dismissal from the Union
Cabinet.
As soon as the House met for the day, the AIADMK members displayed CDs
and newspapers carrying purported taped conversation with Mr. Raja and
public relations lobbyist Nira Radia. Chairman Hamid Ansari asked
members not to show CDs or display newspapers before adjourning the
House for 10 minutes. Post-adjournment the AIADMK members again raised
the issue before staging a walkout.
Earlier, when the Lok Sabha assembled in the morning, the BJP tendered
unconditional apology for alleged remarks of its member Ananth Kumar
in the Lok Sabha against Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Lalu Prasad
during the Census 2011 debate.
As soon as the House met for the day, Leader of the Opposition Sushma
Swaraj said: “I unconditionally apologise for the remarks made by
Ananth Kumar yesterday [Wednesday.]'' When Mr. Prasad sought to
intervene, Ms. Swaraj said in a lighter vein that she apologised on
behalf of Mr. Prasad also.
Keywords: 2G spectrum allocation controversy, JPC probe, Parliament
debate, A. Raja, AIADMK, DMK
http://beta.thehindu.com/news/national/article423854.ece
CHENNAI, May 7, 2010 Karunanidhi playing Dalit card: Jayalalithaa
Special Correspondent
AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa
AIADMK general secretary Jayalalithaa has alleged that Tamil Nadu
Chief Minister and DMK president M. Karunanidhi was trying to
trivialise the telecom scam that allegedly involves Telecommunications
Minister A. Raja by playing the caste card.
In a statement here on Thursday, Ms. Jayalalithaa said Mr. Karunanidhi
had “shamelessly played the Dalit card” to neutralise the Dalit
leaders who, in Parliament, were demanding Mr. Raja's resignation.
She said Mr. Karunanidhi did not address any of the issues raised in
connection with the scam. Instead, he chose to criticise the
Opposition for raising all pertinent issues, on the ground that Mr.
Raja is a Dalit. His aim was to deflect people's attention from the
scam, she added.
Keywords: Spectrum controversy, A. Raja, AIADMK, Dalit Minister,
Jayalalithaa, Karunanidhi, DMK
http://beta.thehindu.com/news/article423488.ece
NEW DELHI, May 3, 2010 Dominant forces maligning Raja, says
Karunanidhi
Special Correspondent
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi. File Photo.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on Monday alleged that
“dominant forces” were indulging in a malicious campaign against Union
Communication and Information Technology Minister and DMK MP A. Raja
on the 2G Spectrum issue just because he was “a Dalit.”
“Raja oru Dalit aaga irukkira karanathal aadhikka sakthigal avar
meethu indha avadhooru parappikondirrukirargal.”
The Chief Minister, however, refused to take more questions on the
issue when journalists asked him about the controversy, which created
a lot of disturbance in Parliament over the last few days, with the
Opposition parties firm on the ousting of Mr. Raja from the Cabinet.
He also did not elaborate on who the dominant forces were.
He earlier had a meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and
Congress president Sonia Gandhi here.
Mr. Karunanidhi remarked on Sunday that he had not brought any good
news when journalists asked him whether Mr. Raja would continue in the
Cabinet.
“Not shielding him”
The Congress on Monday denied shielding Mr. Raja on his alleged
involvement in the 2G spectrum allocation, saying that the Opposition
was only making allegations against him.
“He is not even an accused. These allegations were discussed in
Parliament earlier and are being revived now,'' party spokesperson
Abhishek Manu Singhvi told reporters. Mr. Raja is not even in the
realm of credible evidence, he said, adding that since the Minister
was not from the Congress, it could not speak for him.
Mr. Singhvi charged the Bharatiya Janata Party with “hypocrisy'' and
“double standards'' by referring to several of its senior Ministers in
Karnataka facing criminal charges. “How many of them have even offered
to resign except for the one on Sunday which was mere tokenism,'' he
said.
The United Progressive Alliance had shown exemplary standards of
morality, he said.
On the breakdown of the Congress-Trinamool tie-up for the West Bengal
municipal elections, Mr. Singhvi said the coalition at the Centre and
for the Assembly elections was strong. “This should be no reflection
on the relations at the Centre.''
Keywords: M. Karunanidhi, A. Raja, dominant forces, 2G spectrum
Comments:
It has become a habit of T.Nadu CM to play the Dalit card whenever his
partymen are accused of corruption and mis-use of public office. It is
beginning to look that if one is a Dalit he is licenced to kill, like
James Bond ! Are Dalits above the Civil and Criminal Procedure Code ?
Sashi Tharoor must be regretting that he was not born a Dalit, for, in
that case, he would have been happily continuing as Union Minister !
from: V. Vedagiri
Posted on: May 4, 2010 at 13:04 IST
Mr Karunanidhi says that Mr Raja is targetted by dominant forces
because of his dalit background. What a comment! According to media
reports, Dr Manmohan Singh was said to have written a letter to Mr
Raja objecting to the ways and means adopted for allotting 2G spectrum
allotment. So does Mr Karunanidhi consider Dr Singh part of the
dominant force? There should be some limit to such senseless
statements. Rather it has become the habit of politicians to indulge
in these sort of cheap and dirty politics when they are caught. It is
unfortunate that when he says this sort of comments, no journalist is
questioning Karunanidhi back about this worthless comments.
from: S.R. MURALIDHARAN
Posted on: May 4, 2010 at 13:39 IST
This is ridiculous. What does being dalit have anything to do with
corruption accusations?. I wonder why any of these politicians when
they gain fame & power dont credit their caste, but remember the caste
when accused of wrongdoing.
from: Sridhar
Posted on: May 5, 2010 at 11:27 IST
I think the statement is one of the kind which Mr.Karunanidh makes to
divert the attention from the actual point to something else and keep
the cloud calm.
or i would say one of the many excuses he has in list to divert
attention.
Being dalit does not mean that they wont involve in such scam. Any
human being with corrupted background will involve in corruption.
A clear case analysis is required in this matter and legal actions
should be taken against Mr.Raja if this proved against him.
from: Maha
Posted on: May 20, 2010 at 14:46 IST
http://beta.thehindu.com/news/national/article420957.ece
New Delhi, May 24, 2010 Raja followed NDA policy on telecom licence:
Manmohan
PTI
Telecom Minister A. Raja speaks during the World Telecom Development
Conference 2010, in Hyderabad on Monday. Photo: K. Ramesh Babu Related
PHOTOS
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday defended Telecom Minister A.
Raja, under attack for an alleged scam in granting licences in 2008,
saying he had only followed the policies of the previous NDA
government.
At the same time, he dismissed suggestions for Mr. Raja’s removal from
the Cabinet, saying ”...Pending the investigations it is not proper
for me to express any definitive opinion.”
Citing the success of 3G spectrum auction, which would fetch the
government over Rs 67,700 crore as against about Rs 10,000 crore that
the exchequer got from new 2G licences in 2008, the opposition has
been asking for Mr. Raja’s resignation saying the scam caused a loss
of up to Rs 1 lakh crore to the exchequer.
Answering a query at the first national press conference of the UPA-
II, Mr. Singh said: “I have also discussed this issue with Raja... he
has told me that what he did was, implemented the policies which were
in place since 2003.”
Mr. Singh said Mr. Raja, who reprsents the DMK in the Union Cabinet,
has also made his position clear in Parliament and also in the media.
The Prime Minister, however, admitted that there is a huge gap in the
revenue generation from 2G licences (given by Mr. Raja in 2008)
compared to a whopping Rs 67,700 crore from the auction of 3G spectrum
sale that concluded only last week.
“I think one has to look at the whole problem in proper perspective.
There was a particular policy which was in place since 2003 before our
government came into power,” Mr. Singh said, adding that Mr. Raja’s
point was that it would amount to discrimination if different
yardsticks were applied for the new entrants.
Pointing that the whole issue was being investigated and the CVC has
asked the CBI to look into this and the process is on, he said and
assured: “If I come to know that there is any involvement at any level
in corruption, we will take action.”
The pricing for 2G spectrum was based on policies that were already in
place and had approvals of telecom regulator TRAI, he said.
Nine new companies including Unitech, Shyam Sistema, Datacom, S Tel
and Loop Telecom were given licences in 2008 and pan-India licence was
then offered at Rs 1,658 crore along with start-up 4.4 MHz spectrum.
Anil Ambani-led RCom and Tata Teleservices were allowed to offer
mobile services on both technology platforms — GSM and CDMA.
Keywords: Manmohan Singh, UPA-II, first anniversary, A. Raja, 2G, 3G
spectrum
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..and I am Sid Harth