The Hindu : National : Karunanidhi defends Raja again

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Tuesday, Nov 25, 2008
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Karunanidhi defends Raja again

Special Correspondent

Says Minister followed predecessors

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi defended Union Minister for Communications and Information Technology A. Raja on the allotment of 2G spectrum to new operators, saying the Minister only followed the policy laid down and followed by his predecessors, Arun Shourie and Dayanidhi Maran.

In a statement, Mr. Karunanidhi charged that allegations on the allotment of the spectrum were being made to defame the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Minister. These efforts would not succeed.

Allotment rules

Mr. Karunanidhi said the rules relating to the allotment – the first come, first served policy – were laid down even before 2003. This was followed from then on. Mr. Raja had pointed this out repeatedly in his reply to the allegations. This was also the situation when the Bharatiya Janata Party was in power and spectrum allocation was done even then following the same policy, he said.

Mr. Karunanidhi quoted a note written by Mr. Shourie in 2003 in reply to the BJP demand for a probe into the allotment now: “As regards the point raised about grant of new licences on first come, first served basis, the announced guidelines have made it open for new licences to be issued on continuous basis at any time. However, the spectrum is to be allotted subject to availability. This in effect would imply that an applicant who comes first will be granted the spectrum first so it will result in grant of licence on first come, first served basis.”

Mr. Karunanidhi said that Mr. Raja had pointed out this quote and many more to drive home his point that he was only following the policy that was followed so far, in his interaction with the press in Chennai and New Delhi.

“Malicious intent”

Despite all these explanations, a section of the media was trying make out as if some wrongdoing had taken place in the allotment. This was being done with malicious intent, he said and accused that people inimical to Mr. Raja were planting the stories with the support of some people in the media.

Mr. Karunanidhi said that Mr. Dayanidhi Maran, who succeeded Mr. Arun Shourie, also followed the same policy and did not try to alter it.

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