New Delhi: Former Telecom Minister A Raja, the main accused in 2G spectrum scam, has told the JPC that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was in the loop over policy decisions and has accused Attorney General G E Vahanvati of telling a “series of untruths” against him.
Raja, who could not personally appear before the JPC, has responded to a questionnaire sent by the committee, saying the Prime Minister and the then External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee were kept informed on the licencing policy. In his 17-page note, Raja has said that he had “exchanged letter” with the Prime Minister on November 2, 2007 on various issues relating to the telecom sector and also had subsequent personal discussions on the subject.
“It was agreed in these discussions that the Minister of Communication and IT would have discussions with Sh Pranab Mukherjee, the then External Affairs Minister, since he was heading the Group of Ministers on vacation of spectrum,” he said in his March 13 note to JPC. He said discussions were held between him and Mukherjee in December, 2007 on subscriber base criteria for allotment of additional spectrum, issue of dual technology and issue of new licences. Giving details of the sequence of events in run up to the allocation done in January 2008, Raja said Vahanvati, the then Solicitor General, was also present in these discussions as same issues were the subject of litigation before Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal. “It is evident that the letter of 26.12.2007 sent by the Minister of Communication and IT to the Hon’ble PM is nothing but an encapsulation of the note given by the Solicitor General and the subsequent discussions between the SG, External Affairs Minister and Minister of Communication and IT. Hitting out at Vahanvati for his contention before JPC that the controversial press release regarding 2G licences was changed at the last minute by him in 2008 with a different pen, Raja said the Solicitor General had defended the same press release for two years in different courts. (PTI)