BJP targets PM on spectrum

Describing the 2G spectrum allocation controversy as the biggest scam in independent India,the BJP on Monday hit out at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh....

Describing the 2G spectrum allocation controversy as the biggest scam in independent India,the BJP on Monday hit out at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,with Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley saying that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should not have made a public statement on the issue when an investigation in the matter was on. Jaitley reiterated the partys demand that Union Telecommunications Minister A Raja be sacked from his post forthwith for his role in the scam.

Even when the investigations were going on,and the accusing finger categorically points to the Telecommunications Minister A Raja,the Prime Minister has made a statement that the allegations against him were not correct. This was no occasion for the Prime Minister to send such a signal to the investigative agencies under him. That the minister belongs to an alliance partner of the UPA the DMK could not be a ground for a cover-up operation. After his statement today,his concern for probity is under trial, said Jaitley.

The BJP leader was referring to the Prime Ministers statement on Sunday where the latter,in response to a question,is reported to have said: I would not like to join the issue in public with my Cabinet colleague.

The BJP had raised the spectrum allotment issue in a big way in the last session of Parliament,but decided to up the ante on the matter,after the Prime Ministers statement on Sunday. It was the minister A Raja who is the prime accused and the civil servants were only carrying out his diktats. Let this investigation not result in holding civil servants guilty and the Minister innocent, cautioned the BJP leader.

Reiterating that the spectrum scam was the largest-ever scam in independent India, Jaitley said the amount for licences and spectrum allocation from nine operators,at Rs 1,650 crore per operator,was not on the basis of 2007 market value of licence but on the basis of an auction held in 2001 which determined the 2001 price. He added: A valuable public asset was being allotted in 2007 at a 2001 price.

Elaborating further,the BJP leader said the Ministers claim that he was only following TRAI recommendations,was erroneous. The value of the licence and spectrum in 2007 could not be the same as in 2001. The allottees found buyers or joint venture partners from the international market. A large chunk of the equity was sold by at least three licencees to overseas partners at a price of Rs 6,000-7000 crore. If the value of the spectrum in each case was over Rs 9,000 crore,the government lost over Rs 7,000 crore per licence. For the 9 licences collectively along with the spectrum,the net evaluation exceeds Rs 60,000 crore, said Jaitley.

He also accused Raja of being hand in glove with some real estate companies who bagged the 2-G contracts. All friendly applicants,mostly real estate companies,had been advised to put in their applications on or before October 25,2007 this is not the Oppositions charge as the Prime Minister has commented; it is now a judgment of the Delhi High Court, he said.