Raja denies implicating Manmohan, Chidambaram

PTI

New Delhi, 27 July 2011: In a U-turn, former Telecom Minister A Raja on Tuesday told a Delhi court that he did not seek to implicate Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the then Finance Minister P. Chidambaram in the 2G case.

 

“I did not seek to implicate the Prime Minister and the then Finance Minister in 2G case,” senior advocate Sushil Kumar, counsel for Raja, told Special CBI Judge O.P. Saini.

 

Blames media

 

The DMK leader squarely blamed the media for his alleged accusations against the Prime Minister and the then Finance Minister, saying “they (media) cannot put words in my mouth. Ask them to report truthfully or go out of the court room.”

 

Initiating the arguments on framing of charges, the counsel for Mr. Raja had on Monday claimed that the issue of sale of equity by spectrum licencee telecom firms was discussed with the Prime Minister and the then Finance Minister.

 

The counsel for Mr. Raja on Tuesday started his arguments seeking to record his reservation on the media reports.

 

“I am defending myself and not accusing anything against anybody. I am not after anybody,” he said.

 

In the USA, the court proceedings are telecast and the whole nation watches them to avoid such a situation, he said.

 

Referring to the charge sheet, the senior advocate said the sanction to prosecute the former Telecom Minister was flawed.

 

Raja on corruption charges

 

Mr. Raja, defending himself against corruption charges in 2G scam, had on Monday submitted before the court that there was nothing wrong in his decision of not auctioning 2G spectrum and he was merely following the policies pursued by his predecessors and the NDA government.

 

Counsel for Mr. Raja had said that when Mr. Chidambaram was the Finance Minister he had told the Prime Minister that dilution of shares by the accused licencees to attract FDI did not amount to sale of licence.

 

Arguing that dilution of shares was not sale of licence, Mr. Kumar said Mr. Raja cannot be accused of corruption in the controversial 2G spectrum allocation.

 

“The matter (about sale of equity by spectrum licencees) was discussed between the Prime Minister and the then Finance Minister (P Chidambaram).

 

“The then Finance Minister, who is now Home Minister, had said in front of the Prime Minister that dilution of shares does not amount to sale of 2G licence as per the corporate law,” Sushil had asserted, adding, “Let the Prime Minister deny this.”