The DMK which is part of the UPA government at the centre and one of whose leader heads the Telecom and Communications Ministry finds itself in a new scoop where one of its party members is captured on camera assuring contract for layout of optical fibre for BSNL’s WIMAX tender.

The sting operation conducted by Tamil bi-weekly Junior Vikatan shows Gayatri Srinivas, Joint Secretary of the DMK Cadres Wing assuring disguised reporters who turn up as company officials of grant of BSNL contract for WiMAX in Tamil Nadu. The order is estimated to be worth Rs 250 crore.

The tape also shows Gayatri speaking to a person on the phone who she claims is the Union Minister, A Raja. She is seen to asking the disguised reporters to visit the BSNL office in New Delhi and also to meet the Minister. She further boosts that she is in politics for business motives and also says how Raja arranged for a BSNL advertisement contract worth Rs 7 crore during an India Pakistan cricket match.

The Minister and the Magazine are already fighting a case against each other for alleged invasion of privacy by the magazine. The magazine on its part maintains that Raja was the main beneficiary in the 2G spectrum issue.

BSNL already had to cancel its earlier WiMAX tender due to evidence of favouritism to firms which existed only on paper.

Sting Operations have their limited role in exposing any alleged scam or misdeed. In this case too in all likelihood the axe may stop at the functionary as it will be difficult to prove the involvement of others through the video.

It remains to be seen if this issue provides more fodder to the Opposition in the Parliament which is unusually teaming as a combined force to corner the government through persistent questioning of decisions made by the Telecom Minister.