2G scam: ‘Ready to answer CBI query’, says Shourie

NEW DELHI - Former Telecom Minister Arun Shourie on Saturday said he is ready to respond to any query of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on the 2G spectrum allocation during his tenure.

Shourie, who was the Telecom Minister from January 2003 till May 2004 under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) regime, said former Telecom Minister A Raja did not follow any norms, while allocating 2G spectrum to telecom companies.

Shourie alleged that Raja had changed the basis of ‘first come first serve’.

“These licenses being given is a normal procedure, things continue to happen; new vehicles keep getting added on to the road. This is not the surprise on that count. As I mentioned you during the lecture, the point is not that Raja followed the first come first serve principle as he is saying. He did not follow any principle. No, he has broken the system man,” he added.

Shourie further said that he would report to the public openly about the inquiry if the CBI officials come to question him.

The former Telecom Minister also criticized the Central Government for defending Raja even though he had resigned.

“In his defence, this is the only defence he is coming up with and as you know this defence did not cut icy with his own Prime Minister (Dr. Manmohan Singh), who asked him to resign. This is the incongruity in the Congress position, in the government’s position. They have made the minister resign for wrongdoing and yet they are defending that wrong doing that he did nothing wrong,” he added.

Shourie also welcomed the Supreme Court order on monitoring a CBI probe into 2G spectrum allocation scam from 2001.

He also advocated of new reforms that should be drawn up so that people involved in corruption would get due punishment through courts.

Raja was forced to resign last month under considerable pressure from the Congress.

The 2G spectrum allocation has reportedly caused an alleged loss of Rs1.76 lakh crores to the Government, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has stated in a report. (ANI)