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Policy & Regulation
Raja likely to stay?
TT Correspondent |  New Delhi |  11 Nov 2010

Notwithstanding the Opposition's strident attack on Telecom Minister A Raja over the 2-G spectrum allocation, the government today dropped enough hints that no action against him was likely soon even as his party DMK strongly stood behind him.

In an apparent effort to forestall any action against Raja, DMK leader and party chief M Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozhi met Finance Minister and Congress troubleshooter Pranab Mukherjee here and is understood to have told him he should not be removed from the Union Cabinet.

While Parliament was paralysed for the second consecutive day over alleged corruption in the 2-G allocation and charges against Raja, Home Minister P Chidambaram and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Bansal dismissed demands for a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the allegations and said any action could take place after Parliament discusses the CAG report.

"The CAG has already given its report. The Public Accounts Committee, which is a mini JPC (joint parliamentary committee), will go into the issue and report to Parliament. It will again be debated. Why is there a demand for JPC?" Chidambaram told reporters outside Parliament House.

Echoing similar views, Bansal said: "Corruption is a serious issue... CAG (report) is yet to be finalised. Now the matter would rest with the Public Accounts Committee. The PAC has to look into it."

He told reporters that after the PAC presents its report to Parliament, "it is the right of the Parliament to go for a structured discussion. That is what Parliament is meant for."

He said while Raja has been "indicted by one organisation (CAG), that is not the end of the matter... the matter is before the Supreme Court... we should not take a final decision on anything only after listening to one point and then inflate the issue. We then consider it to be our right to take a decision. We should reach the bottom of the matter."

The Union minister said anybody found guilty should be punished.

Meanwhile, DMK strongly stood behind Raja saying there was no reason for his removal from the Union Cabinet.

"Why should he (Raja) resign," asked DMK spokesperson and Lok Sabha MP T K S Elangovan and added that a CBI probe into the spectrum scam is on and everyone should wait for it to end.

Taking a swipe at the BJP, Bansal said by demanding a JPC probe, the party was demonstrating a lack of confidence in its leader Murli Manohar Joshi who heads the PAC.

"The PAC is headed by a leader of the Opposition party. The BJP has no confidence in M M Joshi (who heads the PAC) as it is demanding a JPC probe (into 2-G spectrum allocation)," he said.

Bansal suggested that the PAC was as powerful as the JPC to handle the issue.

"Moreover, the JPC would be headed by a member of the ruling party (Congress)... instead of demanding a JPC, the Opposition should demand that the PAC fast track the process of examining the CAG report,” he said.

    
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11 Nov 2010(IST)  
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