Chidambaram role to be probed in 2G

New Delhi: In a major setback for Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, a Delhi court on Thursday pronounced its order on the plea seeking permission to examine the CBI and senior Finance Ministry officials to establish his role in the 2G spectrum scam.
Accepting the petitioner’s plea, the court also allowed more witnesses to be quizzed.
The court also allowed the petitioner to become a witness in his complaint against Chidambaram and asked him to record his statement on December 17 in connection with the case.
Meanwhile, the main opposition BJP today said that it will continue to boycott Chidambaram and pressed for his immediate resignation over his alleged role in the 2G scam.
The petitioner had earlier told Special CBI Judge OP Saini that he wanted to examine CBI and senior Finance Ministry officials and other government servants to prove that Chidambaram had taken a joint decision with former Telecom Minister A Raja regarding fixing the price for the 2G spectrum.
Chidambaram, during his tenure as Finance Minister, had permitted Swan Telecom and Unitech, who had secured the licences, to sell their shares to foreign companies, he alleged.
“I have made out a prima facie case that the fixing of spectrum price was jointly decided by the two ministers (Raja and Chidambaram) and the permission granted to sell shares (to foreign companies Dubai-based Etisalat and Norway-based Telenor) was not in accordance with law,” petitioner said.
He said Chidambaram had written two letters, one to the Prime Minister and other to Raja, on the fixation of spectrum price.
“The then Finance Minister had written a letter to the Prime Minister saying he (Chidambaram) was the one who has to decide the price (of spectrum). The second letter was written to Raja that lets meet and decide (the spectrum price),” he said.
The petitioner said even Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had said that Chidambaram and Raja had decided on the spectrum price.
The petitioner said the documents, which he had received from the CBI after the court’s order, “shows in great detail” as far as spectrum pricing was concerned that it was jointly taken by Raja and Chidambaram.
“Four meetings took place between the two ministers. It is on record that the then Telecom Minister and the then Finance Minister met for deciding the spectrum pricing and it (document) says that Finance Minister said that prices of 2001 shall not be revisited,” he said.
He further said the meetings between both the ministers “shows the meeting of minds” between them.
The petitioner had claimed that national security aspect was “ignored” as Swan Telecom and Unitech were allowed to sell their shares to Etisalat and Telenor, the firms who were under scanner of the Ministry of Home.
He had said the office note of Ministry of Telecom said that the then Finance Minister had clarified the dilution of shares in foreign companies.
“The two companies, Swan Telecom and Unitech sold their shares to Etisalat and Telenor respectively. They were under the scanner of the Home Ministry and the Home Ministry had recommended that these two companies should not be allowed to do business in India,” he had said.
The petitioner had said Chidambaram “failed to protect national security” by not informing the authorities that Etisalat and Telenor were “genuine” companies.