cmyk
THE
2 New Delhi ● Saturday ● 13 November 2010
Digvijay seeks
apology from
BJP over
remarks by
Sudarshan
● KARUNA: HE’S NOT A CRIMINAL
Raja refuses
to step down
K.S. JAYASEELAN
NEW DELHI
Nov. 12: In the face of
mounting criticism from
across the political spec-
trum, “spectrum king” and
Union telecom minister A.
Raja has virtually ruled out
stepping down from office
amidst increasing demands
for his removal.
There are indications that
a decision on Mr Raja’s
continuance in the Union
Cabinet may be taken after
Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh returns from Seoul.
However, a section in the
DMK revealed that the
party was also toying with
the option of a portfolio
change for Mr Raja as part
of a “face-saving formula”.
In the meantime, Mr Raja
told reporters, when asked
about his stepping down
from the Union Cabinet,
“The question does not arise
at all. We will prove that
everything has been done
according to the law.”
Union law minister Veer-
appa Moily also came out in
support of Mr Raja, saying
the CAG report “is not
final”. Mr Moily added,
“You cannot call the CAG
report an indictment. It is
not a final report.” He main-
tained that the report has to
be placed before Parliament
and then the Public
Accounts Committee “will
scrutinise it”.
The DMK is also resorting
to pressure tactics by sum-
moning all its MPs to
assemble in Chennai on
Sunday to discuss the issue.
The DMK high command is
expected to formulate its
strategy to deal with the sit-
uation in Chennai on Sun-
day.
DMK supremo and Tamil
‘Report not CAG: Unfair
indictment procedures
of Raja’ were adopted
AGE CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI
Nov. 12: Following an all-
out attack by the Opposi-
tion on the 2G spectrum
controversy, Union law and
justice minister M. Veerap-
pa Moily came out in
defence of telecom minister
A. Raja on Friday.
He said that the report of
Comptroller and Auditor
General (CAG) on 2G spec-
trum allocation cannot be
called an indictment of Mr
Raja, as claimed by opposi-
tion, as the report had not
yet been finalised.
“You cannot call it an
indictment. It is not a final
report. Technically no one
can call it indictment,” Dr
Moily stated and added that
he had not seen any minis-
ter resigning following a
CAG report.
He pointed out that the
CAG had raised similar
queries when the late
Pramod Mahajan was the
communications minister
in the NDA government.
“The NDA did not ask
him to resign. I don’t
remember any instance
when a minister has
resigned following a CAG
report,” Dr Moily said.
However, he clarified that
the Comptroller and Audi-
tor General report has
“weightage” as it was a
constitutional body.
“The CAG report is actu-
ally a query raised by the
institution on a particular
ministry,” the minister clar-
ified. “CAG is an important
institution to safeguard the
interests of the exchequer.
There is a process involved
under which queries are
raised by the CAG follow-
ing which the opinion of the
particular ministry or
department is obtained.
Then the report is presented
to Parliament and becomes
its property,” the law minis-
ter stated.
Nadu chief minister M.
Karunanidhi’s daughter, Ms
Kanimozhi, also went on
record saying that “there is
no pressure on the DMK-
Congress alliance as both
the parties realise the
importance of the ties”.
In Chennai, Mr
Karunanidhi jumped to the
defence of Mr Raja by
declaring, “He is not a crim-
inal. He just went by the
procedures set by his prede-
cessors, Pramod Mahajan
and Arun Shourie of the pre-
vious NDA government.
When he has followed the
rules, how can you say Raja
flouted the rules?” He
brushed aside the CAG
indictment of the telecom
minister, saying, “I know
about the report. It has given
adverse reports about all
Prime Ministers and chief
ministers.”
The Opposition, led by the
BJP and the Left parties,
however, are mounting
pressure on the government
to drop Mr Raja from the
Union Cabinet.
However, with the Assem-
bly elections just a few
months away, the DMK,
which has been putting up a
brave front, is somewhat jit-
tery over the issue.
A section in the DMK is of
the opinion that the DMK
would need Congress sup-
port to stay in power in the
state. The Congress, sources
said, has not taken
AIADMK chief Jay-
alalithaa’s offer of support
seriously. The AIADMK
leader had offered the sup-
port of 18 MPs — nine from
her own outfit, six from the
RLD and three from the
JD(S). A majority in the
Congress though feel that
“Jayalalithaa is not a reli-
able ally”.
GEORGE JOSEPH
NEW DELHI
Nov. 12: Even as communi-
cation and IT minister A.
Raja on Friday denied the
charges against him in the
2G spectrum controversy,
the Comptroller and Audi-
tor General (GAG) is learnt
to have said that the minis-
ter, “for no valid reasons”
ignored the advice of law
and finance ministries and
allocated the spectrum at
“less than its value, on flex-
ible procedures adopted to
benefit a few operators”.
The report, submitted to
President Pratibha Patil
Wednesday, has been sent
to the finance ministry and
the Prime Minister’s Office.
It will be tabled in parlia-
ment later. Mr Raja, who
has refused to resign
despite mounting demands
from the opposition, said he
was yet to receive a copy of
the CAG report. “I cannot
comment on the facts put
up by the media,” he said.
The minister said he
would not comment further
as the matter was subjudice.
Normal business in both
houses of parliament was
stalled Wednesday and
Thursday as agitated oppo-
sition members disrupted
the proceedings demanding
the resignation of Mr Raja
over the spectrum contro-
versy alleging that the state
had lost “lakhs of crores” in
the deal. The CAG report,
which was accessed by
IANS, said “the entire
process of spectrum alloca-
tion was undertaken in an
arbitrary manner”. “The
Prime Minister had stressed
on the need for a fair and
transparent allocation of
spectrum, and the ministry
of finance, and the ministry
of law and justice had
sought for the decision
regarding spectrum pricing
to be considered by an
EGOM,” it said. —IANS
It is a fight of
principles,
says Sukhbir
Badal on cousin
Manpreet
Policemen try to disperse Congress supporters with a water cannon as they protest outside the RSS office
in New Delhi on Friday.
RSS regrets Sudarshan remarks
AGE CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI
Nov. 12: Both the RSS and
the BJP on Friday expressed
regret over derogatory
remarks against Congress
chief Sonia Gandhi by for-
mer RSS chief K.S. Sudar-
shan, saying it was “unfortu-
nate”.
The RSS, which had on
Thursday distanced itself
from the controversial com-
ments of Mr Sudarshan, on
Friday went a step further
by issuing a statement
expressing regret over the
former RSS chief’s remarks.
PM must explain: BJP, JD-U
AGE CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI
Nov. 12: Alleging that the
Congress had surrendered
before its alliance partner,
the DMK, the main Opposi-
tion BJP on Friday said
Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh must reply whether
his office gave assent to 2G
spectrum allocation without
auction as suggested by tele-
com minister A. Raja. The
party said Mr Raja had
made PM a “co-accused” in
the scam by suggesting that
he kept the PM informed of
every decision he took dur-
TN poses challenge for Congress
AGE CORRESPONDENT
NEW DELHI
Nov. 12: Tamil Nadu has
posed a big challenge for the
Centre and the Congress
high command on the issue
of controversial 2G spec-
trum allocation and the role
of telecom minister A. Raja
in it. Now, they would either
have to defend or disown
him inside and outside Par-
liament. This is because the
issue is uniting the Opposi-
tion whose target is Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh.
Amarinder sworn in new Punjab PCC chief
ASIT JOLLY
CHANDIGARH
Nov. 12: Taking charge as
the new Punjab Congress
president amidst a huge
crush of supporters and a
galaxy of senior politicians
on Friday, former chief min-
ister Amarinder Singh
promised his cadres that he
would exact retribution from
those responsible for fabri-
cating thousands of criminal
cases against Congress
workers during the tenure of
the ruling Shiromani Akali
Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party
government.
An estimated 50,000 party
workers at Chandigarh’s
Punjab Congress Bhavan
cheered wildly as the new
PPCC chief declared, “I
promise to all of you here
today, that those responsible
for fabricating false cases
against our workers will not
Pune needs a
second airport,
says civil
aviation
minister Patel
The RSS had maintained
that whatever Mr Sudarshan
said against the Congress
chief in Bhopal on Wednes-
day were not its views. The
BJP also associated with the
RSS stand on the issue.
Senior RSS leader Bhaiya-
ji Joshi, in a statement
issued on Friday, said: “As
the joint general secretary of
the RSS, I express my heart-
felt deep regrets over the
alleged comments (of Mr
Sudarshan), which had hurt
the sentiments, and the sub-
sequent developments that
are unfortunate.”
Sources disclosed both the
ing 2G Spectrum allocation.
The BJP demanded that
the PM drop Mr Raja from
his Cabinet.
Meanwhile, the Janata Dal
(United), the BJP’s alliance
partner, demanded Mr
Raja’s resignation and
explanation from the Prime
Minister on the issue, in the
wake of the government fil-
ing an affidavit in the
Supreme Court on the 2G
spectrum issue.
BJP national spokesperson
Prakash Javadekar said gov-
ernment’s affidavit was a
testimony to the “abject sur-
render of the Congress
The current mood in the
Congress is that Mr Raja
should either be dropped
from the Union Cabinet or
his portfolio be changed.
But DMK supremo and
Tamil Nadu chief minister
M. Karunanidhi is ignoring
these feelers after realising
that it would be seen as a
victory of AIADMK chief
Jayalalithaa ahead of the
state Assembly elections.
The PM is expected to take
a call on it in the coming
days. If insiders are to be
believed, he wanted Mr Raja
Former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh (right)
with his wife, MoS for external affairs Preneet Kaur
(second from left), and former PCC chiefs Rajinder
Kaur Bhattal and Mohinder Singh Kaypee after being
sworn in as Punjab PCC chief in Chandigarh on Fri-
day.
be spared when we form the
government after the com-
PHOTO: AP
RSS and the BJP were very
upset with Mr Sudarshan’s
remarks, with the RSS
deciding to keep away its
former chief from address-
ing public meetings on the
“Hindu terror” issue.
The RSS has launched a
nationwide campaign
against the Congress for
“maligning” its image by
“misusing” investigating
agencies against it and
implicating some of its lead-
ers names in terror attack
cases.
When asked what was its
stand on Mr Sudarshan’s
remarks against the Con-
before the DMK for survival
in office”. “The paralysis on
the part of the Prime Minis-
ter to take action against
Raja on the worst scam in
India proves that he was a
partner in the decision,” Mr
Javadekar said.
Posing questions to the
Prime Minister, the BJP said
the Prime Minister must
answer if the decision to
allot 2G spectrum without
auction was taken by the
department of telecommuni-
cations or the cabinet. “Is it
not a fact that the prime
minister was fully informed
about the Trai position on
should be replaced but is
unwilling to take a decision
as he is unsure of its politi-
cal consequences.
The Congress has earlier
removed Mr Ashok Chavan
from the Maharashtra chief
ministership on the Adarsh
housing scam and Mr
Suresh Kalmadi from the
post of CPP secretary on the
mess up in the Common-
wealth Games.
It had even targeted the
then defence minister
George Fernandes on the
coffin scam and boycotted
PHOTO: PTI
ing Assembly elections.”
At his attacking best, Capt.
gress chief, BJP national
spokesperson Prakash
Javadekar said: “The RSS
has clarified its stand. The
BJP’s views are the same as
that expressed by RSS on
this issue.” Asked if the RSS
has become a major embar-
rassment, Mr Javadekar
replied in the negative. “We
are not saying the RSS is
becoming a major embar-
rassment.”
Stepping up its campaign
against Mr Sudarshan, Con-
gress members held demon-
strations across the country
and burnt the RSS leader’s
effigy.
the issue and Trai had never
recommended 2G spectrum
allotment without auction?”
Mr Javadekar said. The
party said if 2G allotment
without auction was right
mode of allotment, then why
3G spectrum was allotted
through auction.
JD(U) spokesperson Shiv-
anand Tewari said: “The ball
is now in the Prime Minis-
ter’s court following the
affidavit, which showed that
the PMO was in the loop at
every stage.”
“If this was so why the
Prime Minister did not inter-
vene?” he asked.
him in Parliament.
But the 2G spectrum allo-
cation issue is diluting the
Congress’ position on the
corruption issue.
The other day, the Con-
gress sources felt the DMK
leadership to take a call on
this issue. But on Friday, it
asked why the BJP is shying
away for a discussion on it
in Parliament. The Congress
and the DMK might be
wanting to target the BJP on
this issue but the real politi-
cal beneficiary could be Ms
Jayalalithaa in the coming
Singh charged the ruling
coalition of “rampant cor-
ruption and misgovernance
of the worst kind,” which he
said was leading to “a com-
plete collapse of the econo-
my, joblessness, breakdown
of law and order and total
anarchy in Punjab.”
Capt. Amarinder Singh
said, “People have had it
with the SAD-BJP and
would throw them out if
elections were to be held
tomorrow.”
Thanking Congress presi-
dent Sonia Gandhi for
entrusting him with the huge
responsibility of rescuing
the state from its current dis-
tress, Capt. Singh vowed to
travel to “every village,
basti, town and city” to build
a never before movement
against the present govern-
ment.”
He assured workers that he
was one among them and
Nation
● ALSO FACES DEFAMATION SUIT
FIR filed against
RSS ex-chief
NARAYAN BARETH
JAIPUR
Nov. 12: A local court in
Jaipur has directed the
police to lodge FIR against
ex-RSS chief K.S. Sudar-
shan for allegedly making
inflammatory statements
against Congress chief
Sonia Gandhi while Con-
gress workers protested
against Mr Sudarshan and
RSS at several place across
Rajasthan.
The court passed this
order on Friday while hear-
ing a criminal complaint
filed by Congress leader
Suresh Mishra against Mr
Sudarshan. “We argued that
such remarks were aimed to
create hatred between the
people and communities,”
said Mr Mishra’s lawyer
A.K. Jain. Mr Mishra filed
the complaint before the
court of chief judicial mag-
istrate [CJM].
Mr Mishra contended that
Mr Sudarshan made such
remarks in a bid to help
RSS functionary Indresh
Kumar, who is allegedly
involved in the Ajmer blast
case. The complaint has
given history of the Con-
gress Party and said it was a
115-year-old organisation
and had played a key role in
freedom of India.
“We contended that the
RSS has been banned
twice,” Mr Jain said. The
complainant praised Mrs
Sonia Gandhi and said she
was dedicated to the nation
and such derogatory com-
ments hurt the sentiments
of the people.
The complainant also sub-
mitted media reports quot-
ing Mr K.S. Sudarshan’s
speech.
Meanwhile, a defamation
case against former Mr
Sudarshan was filed on Fri-
day in a court in Bhopal for
his derogatory remarks
against Mrs Gandhi, reports
PTI.
The case was filed by
local Congressman Pradeep
Sharma in the court of chief
judicial magistrate (CJM).
The publication of Mr
Sudarshan’s remarks
against Mrs Gandhi had
deeply hurt him, Mr Shar-
ma said.
state Assembly elections.
Interestingly, barring law
minister M. Veerappa Moily
no body is willing to back
Mr Raja.
He said the report of
Comptroller and Auditor
General (CAG) on 2G spec-
trum allocation cannot be
called an indictment of Mr
Raja, as claimed by the
Opposition, as it is not final.
“You cannot call it an
indictment. It is not a final
report. Technically no one
can call it indictment,” he
said.
would be available to listen
to their problems 24x7.
Though viewed as belated
by many party men, Capt.
Singh’s appointment at
PPCC chief drew support
from several Punjab Con-
gress veterans hitherto
known to be inimical to him.
Besides AICC secretary
R.C. Kuntia and national
spokesman Manish Tewari,
those present included CLP
leader Rajinder Kaur Bhat-
tal, former governors Bal-
ram Jakhar and Raghunan-
dan Lal Bhatia, and four ex-
Pradesh Congress chiefs —
Mohinder Singh Gill, San-
tokh Singh Randhawa,
Shamsher Singh Dullo and
Mohinder Singh Kaypee.
Gurdaspur MP Pratap
Singh Bajwa and CWC
member Jagmeet Brar, who
are still believed to be sulk-
ing, were conspicuous by
their absence.
cmyk
AGE
Police personnel guard
the residence of former
RSS chief K.S. Sudar-
shan in Bhopal on Fri-
day. PHOTO: PTI
Houses of
Joshi, MPCC
man attacked
AGE CORRESPONDENTS
LUCKNOW/BHOPAL
Nov. 12: The house of
UPCC president Rita
Bahuguna Joshi in Alla-
habad was ransacked on
Thursday night, allegedly
by RSS activists, after local
Congressmen burnt effigies
of former RSS chief K.S.
Sudarshan. Ms Joshi was
not in Allahabad when the
incident took place.
This is the second time
that Ms Joshi’s house has
been targeted by political
rivals. In July 2009, the
UPCC president’s house in
Lucknow had been torched,
allegedly by BSP members,
after she made a derogatory
remark against chief minis-
ter Mayawati.
According to reports
reaching here, RSS workers
reportedly barged into her
Allahabad residence, broke
flower pots, damaged her
vehicle that was parked
inside and tossed plastic
chairs around.
Meanwhile in Bhopal,
Madhya Pradesh Congress
spokesperson
Mishra’s residence
K.K.
in
Indore was attacked,
allegedly by Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh
activists, during the inter-
vening night of November
11 and 12. Mr Mishra has
lodged an FIR.
Congress president
Sonia Gandhi wears a a
traditional cap during a
rally at Kangla, Manipur,
on Friday. PHOTO: PTI
Sonia writes
to PM on
NREGA wages
AMIT AGNIHOTRI
NEW DELHI
Nov. 12: Concerned over
reports of workers not get-
ting minimum wages under
the UPA flagship MGNRE-
GA, National Advisory
Council chairperson Sonia
Gandhi has written to
Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh to examine the mat-
ter urgently. “There was a
general agreement in the
NAC that MGNREGA
workers need to be paid
minimum wages as notified
under the Minimum Wages
Act, 1948. Since the matter
is of an urgent and inter-
ministerial nature, you may
wish to have it examined
and give suitable direc-
tions,” said NAC chairper-
son Sonia Gandhi in her let-
ter to the PM.