2G scam: Raja’s arrest doesn’t prove he is guilty,says DMK

Accusing the opposition of blowing the 2G spectrum scam out of proportion,the DMK said their only evidence against Raja was the CAG report tabled in Parliament,which they were using to “malign” the party.

The CAG had given a similar report during the NDA regime also on the issue,but the opposition,which had successfully blocked functioning of Parliament during its last session,has again threatened to do so in the coming Budget Session,demanding a JPC probe into the issue,it said.

But when the earlier CAG report was tabled,there was no “such noise” from the then Opposition,the resolution said.

The Opposition did not want the Public Accounts Committee,which normally goes into such reports,the resolution said,pointing out that the PAC was headed by a BJP member (Murli Manohar Joshi).

There was no justification for the opposition to continue the protest as the probe by the CBI,which is under the Supreme Court’s monitoring,has intensified investigation into the 2G scam and arrested Raja,the resolution said.

It also recalled the earlier statement of Karunanidhi that he would not hesitate to take action against Raja if he was really proved guilty,adding the party was “an open book”.

The former Telecom Minister,his 2 ex-associates R K Chandolia and Siddharth Behura were arrested on Wednesday in connection with the 2G irregularities.

Meanwhile,the main Opposition in Tamil Nadu – the AIADMK – is not impressed with Raja’s arrest.

Terming it as “artificial and well-planned”,AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa today said it was meant to “hoodwink” the public and tell the Supreme Court that some action had been taken on the matter.

“The whole thing looks artificial and well-planned. They should have done this long back,” Jayalalithaa told reporters.

She said nothing short of a JPC to probe the scam was acceptable to her.

The AIADMK leader said the government had adopted “contradictory stands” on the issue. Initially it said Raja was not guilty but now it had arrested him and “in the process it not only became a laughing stock,but also made the public a laughing stock,” she added.