JOIN USWhile Kumar parried queries by reporters at the airport with a meaningful smile, official sources sought to play down his visit, since the FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation in this case was against certain unnamed officials in the Department of Telecom (DoT).
Kumar was on a routine visit to review the progress of various cases handled by the Central Bureau of Investigation’s Chennai branch, sources said. However, Telecom MinisterA Raja, who was also in Chennai on Sunday, stuck to his guns.
Reiterating what he termed his “categorical” position on the controversial issue, Raja, in a brief interaction with the media, said the issuance of licenses and spectrum (allocation) had been “as per the recommendations of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and in consultation with the prime minister.”
Significantly, in an assertive stance, the DMK’s official organ, “Murasoli”, in a major box item today sought to ridicule demands of the CPM, CPI and the BJP, “all speaking in one voice”, that Raja should quit his post, when the CBI has commenced a probe into the alleged scam.
To buttress its line of reasoning, the paper cited Congress spokesperson Manish Tiwari’s statement in Delhi that there was no question of Raja’s resignation as the CBI’s FIR had named only a few officials and that the matter was under investigation.
Further, adverting to “well informed reports”, “Murasoli” also quoted from them to say that two of the controversial beneficiary companies allocated the spectrum –– Swan and Unitech–– had been charged with selling off their shares to foreign companies to make windfall profits on the basis of their 2G licenses.
However, Swan’s disinvestment up to 40 per cent of its equity had been approved by the Centre’s Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIBP), “Murasoli” pointed out, adding, issues related to sale of shares (by these two telecom companies) came under the Finance Ministry’s purview.
Further, just two days before the CBI filed the FIR in this case, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs had given the nod for divesting shares up to 74 per cent , “Murasoli” said.