A Raja resigns; PM to keep charge of Telecom ministry

The 2G spectrum allocation scam slowed down proceedings in the Parliament in the last two days to elicit popular outrage. But alleged Telecom Minister A Raja has finally resigned now. The prime minister will himself keep charge of the telecom ministry in the interim.

But even after putting in his papers, Mr. Raja remained defiant. “On the advice of my beloved leader, in order to avoid embarrassment to the government and to allow the Parliament system to function, I have decided to resign. But I have done no wrong. My conscience is very clear and I have done everything according to law,” he said soon after tendering his resignation.

Weekend Politics
Sunday night witnessed the high-voltage resignation drama and received intense media coverage. The government was quick in taking credit for high standards of accountability. Plus, the Congress added that Raja's quitting over the spectrum scam would have "no bearing" on its "very strong" alliance with the DMK. On the other hand, the opposition, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has made its amply clear that it wants the government to institute a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe to examine not only the 2G spectrum allocation scam, but also the CWG as well as the Adarsh Housing Society standards. The BJP is also conducting a meeting to finalise their strategy and see if the Parliament will function normally today.

Spectrum Raja
A Raja, now better known as ‘Spectrum Raja’ was blamed by a government auditor to cost the government close to Rs. 1.76 lakh crores by undervaluing 2G spectrum in 2008, and, by adopting unwarranted practices in deciding who would be awarded 2G licenses. The Comptroller and Auditor General's report (CAG) was leaked to the media and will be tabled in Parliament shortly.

2G Scam: At a Glance

• 2G licenses issued in the year 2008 at 2001 prices
• Raja welcomed a 'first come-first service' policy
• 9 companies got licenses for almost Rs. 10, 800 crore
• A few companies sold partial stakes for much higher rates
• CAG: Indian government lost between Rs. 1.4 & 1.76 lakh crore

• CAG: Raja disregarded advice of Law, Finance ministriesThe 2G spectrum allocation scam slowed down proceedings in the Parliament in the last two days to elicit popular outrage. But alleged Telecom Minister A Raja has finally resigned now. The prime minister will himself keep charge of the telecom ministry in the interim.

But even after putting in his papers, Mr. Raja remained defiant. “On the advice of my beloved leader, in order to avoid embarrassment to the government and to allow the Parliament system to function, I have decided to resign. But I have done no wrong. My conscience is very clear and I have done everything according to law,” he said soon after tendering his resignation.