2G scam...SC asks Govt to file affidavit on PM's behalf

The Supreme Court asked the UPA government to file an affidavit by Saturday on behalf of the Prime Minister explaining why Dr. Manmohan Singh he took close to a year to respond to a request for the prosecution of former Telecom Minister A Raja for allegedly committing various impropriety in the allocation of new 2G spectrum licences in early 2008. A bench comprising Justices G S Singhvi and A K Ganguly granted time to the Centre to file the affidavit after Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium said that he was in a position to place before it the entire record on the issue.



"The matter is extremely serious," the apex court said. Earlier this week, referring to the PM, the court had said, "The alleged inaction and silence is worrying us," said the court. The Supreme Court was hearing a petition filed by Janta Party President Subramanium Swamy, seeking a direction to the Prime Minister for grant of sanction for the prosecution of Raja in connection with the 2G scam. The bench asked Swamy that if he wants to file any affidavit, he can do so by Monday. The bench posted the matter for further hearing on Tuesday.

The Government tabled in parliament the CAG report on alleged irregularities in the allocation of 2G spectrum amid persistent demand of a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe by the opposition parties. The Performance Audit Report on the Issue of Licences and Allocation of 2G spectrum by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) was tabled in the Lok Sabha by finance minister Pranab Mukherjee. Former Union Telecom Minister A. Raja, who is a member of the Lok Sabha, was not present in the House when the CAG report was tabled. The CAG report indicts Raja for ignoring the advice of the Prime Minister, finance ministry and law ministry in the allocation of 2G spectrum. Raja has maintained that he has done no wrong, saying he distributed the new 2G telecom licences as per the policies followed by his predecessors since 1999. He initially refused to resign but finally quit over the weekend amid constant pressure from the Congress party.

In November 2008, former Law Minister and Janata Party President Subramaniam Swamy wrote to the Prime Minister, asking that Raja be prosecuted for violations committed in January 2008. In March 2010, Swamy was told by the Government it would not be possible because the CBI is investigating the case. Meanwhile, the Solicitor General told the Supreme Court that all documents relevant to Swamy's request will be produced in court. He also said that all letters of Swamy were dealt with. Swamy claimed he wrote five times to the Prime Minister but received only one response from his office, and another from Raja.

Meanwhile, the opposition parties continued to pile on the pressure on the UPA Government, especially the Prime Minister, in the wake of the 2G imbroglio, the Adarsh housing society scam in Mumbai and the Commonwealth Games fiasco. Both the BJP and the Left parties demanded a public explanation from the Prime Minister. The Opposition created ruckus in the parliament throughout the week over the 2G scam and did not allow any work to be done in either of the two houses. They stuck to their demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the matter, which the Government has rejected so far.