Did Chidambaram offer to quit?

A day after Prime Minister reiterated his faith in P Chidambaram, who is battling to steer clear of the 2G spectrum taint, reports claimed today that the Home Minister had offered to quit over the issue.

Reports suggested that the PM does not the 2G scam damage to spread further and drag in of more ministers. Soon after the ‘secret note’, sent by the finance ministry to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), that suggested that Chidambaram (as finance minister) could have ensured, had in wanted, on auctioning of 2G spectrum in 2008, came to the fore, the Home Minister had called up the Prime Minister.

The Home Minister reportedly offered to quit but the Prime minister told him to not take any “hasty decisions” and wait for him to come back from the United States on September 27.

Later during an interaction with the press, Manmohan Singh said, “As far as Mr Chidambaram is concerned, he enjoyed my confidence as finance minister and continues to inspire my confidence as Home Minister.”

The Congress party also seems to be working on the same lines with the party offering unequivocal support to Chidambaram. Party leaders have sworn by the integrity of the home minister and scoffed at any suggestions that he had in any way played a role in the faulty spectrum allocation policy adopted by former telecom minister A Raja.

Pranab Mukherjee, his ministry had virtually blamed Chidambaram for not taking pre-emptive action, also called up Chidambaram from the US. He reportedly told an upset Chidambaram that the document that put the blame on the home minister was a ‘background note’ and that he had not approved the letter.

Party president Sonia Gandhi is said to have been kept informed about the development and she would step in after both the Prime Minister and Pranab Mukherjee return back to the country.