BJP reiterates demand for Chidambaram’s resignation over 2G case

From ANI

New Delhi, Dec 8(ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday once again sought resignation of Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram after court allowed telecom scam petitioner Subramanian Swamy to provide further evidence against Chidambaram in the multi-billion 2G case.

A court in New Delhi told Swamy that official of Finance Ministry, some senior Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers and other public servants could be summoned only after he could explain the relevance of their testimony in the 2G spectrum allotment case on December 17.

BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said when witnesses had to depose in the court, then their earlier boss (Chidambaram) couldn't remain as minister.

"As far as today's court order is concerned, the order vindicates our stand that there is a need of Chidambaram to step down because there is now a new ground - his two earlier (former) junior officers of the Finance Ministry will be examined as witness about his culpability. When witnesses have to depose in the court, then their earlier boss can't be a minister now," Javadekar told reporters in New Delhi.

Chidambaram has been at the centre of the scandal ever since media reports revealed his alleged role in 'deciding' the prices during his earlier tenure as finance minister.

Swamy, also the president of India's Janata Party, recently released a document dating back to April 21, 2008, stating that Chidambaram had met with the then Telecom Minister Andimuthu Raja to discuss the prices of the 2G spectrum.

The document also claims Chidambaram had held the same discussion with Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.

Raja was sacked last November and later arrested after being charged with giving away telecom licenses in 2008 at meagre prices.

The telecom scam, one of India's biggest graft cases ever, may have cost 39.57 billion dollars in revenue to the public exchequer as per the country's apex auditing body, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).


Copyright Asian News International/DailyIndia.com