Raja: Call Chidambaram as witness in 2G case

Former telecom minister A Raja today told a Delhi court that former Finance Minister and now Home Minister P Chidambaram, should be summoned and examined as a witness in the 2G spectrum allocation case.

Appearing for Raja, senior advocate Shushil Kumar told Special CBI Judge O P Saini that the agency should have recorded Chidambaram's statement regarding a Cabinet meeting in which he had clarified the issue of dilution of shares.

Raja's counsel submitted that Chidambaram should be asked whether he gave the advice on the issue of dilution of shares in the presence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

"Call Chidambaram here (in the court) and ask him whether this meeting took place or not in the presence of the Prime Minister and you (Chidambaram) gave this advice or not. Call him and confront him with the minutes of the meeting," he said.

Regarding the alleged loss incurred by the exchequer, he said none less than the Prime Minister has said on the floor of Parliament that there is no loss.

The CBI, in its charge sheet, has said that accused Shahid Balwa's Swan Telecom and Sanjay Chandra's Unitech Wireless (Tamil Nadu) Pvt Ltd off-loaded their shares to Dubai-based Etisalat and Norway-based Telenor respectively.

Raja's counsel submitted that the court should use its power under section 311 CrPC to summon and examine Chidambaram as a witness.

"In the meeting, the then Finance Minister clarified (the issue of) dilution of shares. Chadambaram is party to it and I am not calling him as an accused. The CBI should have recorded his statement earlier," he said.

"Call Mr Chidambaram under section 311 CrPC and ask whether this meeting took place," the defence counsel said, adding that the CBI's case is based on two pillars that Raja must have auctioned the spectrum and that he showed favour to two companies who, in turn, earned "windfall" profit by diluting their shares.

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.