New Delhi:
Telecom Minister A Raja's exit from the Cabinet now seems inevitable.
The Congress held a high-level meeting on Sunday morning in New Delhi to discuss the A Raja issue and the storm in Parliament over the alleged corruption in 2G scam. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, party president Sonia Gandhi and senior leaders Pranab Mukherjee and AK Antony attended the meeting.
"Parliament is in session. Whatever we have to say, we will say in Parliament only," Pranab Mukherjee said after the meeting, declining to make any detailed comment on the row.
Speaking on the issue, Defence Minister A K Antony said, "Congress stand will be explained by the Congress spokesperson. I'm sorry I can't have a public debate on this issue. Our government's policy is - no cover-up, no witch-hunt. I am a Cabinet Minister and I have my limitations."
Speaking to media persons in Chennai earlier in the day, Raja reiterated that there was no question of him resigning. He added that whatever he did was in accordance with law and he will come out clean.
(Watch)The tainted Telecom Minister met DMK chief M Karunanidhi in the afternoon in a last bid to get support from the party chief. He met him on Saturday night as well. The other DMK leader to meet Karunanidhi this morning was T R Baalu who was the Union Shipping Minister during the first term of the UPA government.
Speaking to media persons shortly before boarding a flight to New Delhi, Raja said the meeting a "routine affair" and once again reiterated that there is no question of him resigning.
Raja also said that he doesn't know what the Prime Minister is expected to announce.
NDTV has learnt that senior Congress ministers will try to convince the DMK to let go of Raja. It all now depends on how Raja's party, the DMK responds. The DMK chief has, so far, supported Raja.
Meanwhile, speaking to NDTV, DMK leader and Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozhi said the Congress-DMK ties remain strong. But she avoided answering whether she will be replacing Raja. NDTV has learnt that infighting in the party could prevent this.
(Watch)The Congress' mission to convince DMK to let go of Raja became even more urgent after former Telecom Secretary D S Mathur went public with his criticism.
Mathur claimed that Raja pushed for the controversial first-come-first-serve route to give away new licenses to telecom companies instead of the auctioning them.
"The issues arose as to how many applications can we give licenses to because spectrum is a very limited commodity. We could not issue licenses to everybody and therefore cause chaos because a large number of people having received the license would not have been able to start the operations because of the lack of spectrum. So this was one issue which had to be taken care of," Mathur had said. (
Read: Ex-Telecom Secretary's claims could land Raja in more trouble)
Mathur's claims were, however, quickly rebutted by the Telecom Minister. Speaking to NDTV, Raja said Mathur was a very much a part of the decisions. "Mathur was part and parcel of all the decisions taken."
The minister even showed documents claiming Mathur signed on the relevant files.
Speaking on the question of the Prime Minister wanting him to resign he said, "The question of The PM wanting me to resign is fictitious. I will prove the public perception against me on corruption is wrong. The CBI's FIR does not name me. I need not resign. But I will not interfere in the CBI's investigation."
But clearly Raja's defence has not convinced the Opposition who are now targetting the Prime Minister.
"Unfortunately, the Prime Minister isn't saying a word about this. Even today, when asked, he kept mum. We're asking, does his clean image also include whitewashing of such scams and still it can be clean?" BJP spokesperson Prakash Jawadekar said. (
Read: Alliance with DMK stands as of now, says PM)
"Now minister claims that all this is done with the knowledge of the PM. Then this is a very grievous charge. He is virtually saying the PM is also a party to all this," CPM leader Sitaram Yechury said. (
Read: CAG slams Raja for 'ignoring advice on 2G without logic')
The Prime Minister had said on Friday night that the alliance with the DMK is intact as of now and refused to comment on the A Raja controversy. But one thing is clear - when Parliament meets on Monday the Opposition will train its guns on the Prime Minister.