New Delhi: Telecom Minister A Raja, under attack from the Opposition, has told Parliament that there was complete transparency in the way 2G spectrum was allocated by his ministry.
The Opposition wants Raja to resign. They allege that the government lost 60,000 crores because of the manner in which the spectrum was allocated in 2008. It was awarded through nine separate licenses for 1600 crores. The Opposition claims that had the spectrum been auctioned, the government would have earned much more revenue. It also argues that the licenses were priced at out-dated rates.
Speaking in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, Raja asserted that he had nothing to hide. Raja and his party, the DMK, are a powerful ally of the Congress, and an integral component of the UPA coalition at the centre.
2G or second-generation spectrum is used to provide quality wireless technology for mobile phones.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is investigating the alleged 2G scam.
The fiercest attack against Raja comes from his political rival in his home state, AIADMK chief Jayalalitha, who, on Thursday, issued a statement accusing the union government of having double standards in not asking Raja to resign over the alleged telecom scam . She compares this to the case of Shashi Tharoor, who was asked to step down as Minister of State for External Affairs after he was found to have inappropriate links to a group that bought the Kochi team in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
"When charges were raised by Lalit Modi about Shashi Tharoor's dubious involvement in IPL deals, the junior minister was sacrificed. But when it comes to allies, the UPA is forced to submit to blackmail. The issue is not just one of probity in public life. It is about the loot of Rs 1 lakh crore of funds due to the nation. It is the sort of money that could have provided independent houses free of cost to every family in Tamil Nadu," she has said.