Karat for thorough probe into spectrum allocation
Union Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran came under increasing pressure on Wednesday, with the Bharatiya Janata Party and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam demanding his resignation and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) calling for a thorough investigation into reports that alleged his family benefited from policies and decisions he made as Minister for Communications between 2004 and 2007.
BJP general secretary Jagat Prakash Nadda wanted Mr. Maran to quit following reports that alleged that an investment made by Malaysian company Maxis Communications in a direct-to-home company of the Sun TV Network owned by Mr. Maran's brother, Kalanidhi Maran, could have been a quid pro quo for Aircel getting 14 mobile telephony licences after Maxis took it over.
AIADMK general secretary and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa demanded that the Minister quit and face legal proceedings.
“I am quite sure the Prime Minister knows what should be done… The Prime Minister should ask him to quit immediately, if he has already not done so,” Ms. Jayalalithaa said at a press conference in Chennai.
CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat called for a “serious investigation” into the allocation of licences and spectrum when Mr. Maran was Communications Minister. “I hope the Prime Minister and the Central government will immediately get this [matter] investigated,” he told reporters after he called on Ms. Jayalalithaa at the Secretariat in Chennai.
Meanwhile, in a statement, Mr. Dayanidhi Maran denied any wrongdoing during his tenure in the Communications Ministry and termed the charge that he favoured a particular company in granting a Unified Access Service licence “untrue and malicious.”
FDI cap
In New Delhi, the BJP said that during Mr. Maran's tenure, the cap on foreign direct investment in this sector was raised from 26 to 74 per cent. Maxis Communications had then bought 74 per cent equity in Aircel, which initially had a licence only for Tamil Nadu.
“Mr. Maran had got benefit for the company as during his tenure the company was given 14 additional licences,” party spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad alleged on Tuesday and demanded a detailed investigation. On Wednesday, the BJP went a step further.
Mr. Nadda said the party “demands the resignation of Mr. Maran immediately and if he does not resign, the Prime Minister should sack him.” He had written to the CBI Director A.P. Singh, seeking answers to “very disturbing questions” related to Mr. Maran's stint as Communications Minister.
Mr. Nadda said that in the letter he had asked whether Aircel was given a number of licences after Maxis Communications acquired 74 per cent of its equity.
The BJP wanted to know whether 2G spectrum was allotted to the company at rates fixed in 2001.
Meanwhile, the Centre for Public Interest Litigation moved the Supreme Court, demanding a CBI investigation into charges that licences were given to Aircel by Mr. Maran on the basis of a “quid pro quo.”
Keywords: Dayanidhi Maran, Aircel licence, Maxis Communication, telecom FDI, UPA government, political scandals, Jayalalithaa
The Prime Minister and his cabinet should also take the responsibility for the 2G scam. In cases like the 2G plunder, the custodians of the country's wealth, namely the Prime Minister and his Cabinet, should bear responsiblity since it involves not only acts of commission by some ministers through alleged corrupt practices but also acts of ommission by the Prime Minister and his Cabinet as shown by their failure to check the alleged plunder of the nation's wealth. Why then are the opposition parties and the media not asking for the resignation of the government? If the resignation of the government will result in a mid-term election, the people of this country will not regret. In any case the people of this country(excluding the beneficiaries of the government's economic management) are not enamoured of this government which is not apparently concerned about the ever-rising prices of items of mass consumption. They will welcome a mid-term election in which they can have their say.
It is surprising that public opinion in India is not asking the Prime Minister of the scam-tainted UPA government to resign? One thought that the government in this country is run by the Prime Minister who has the right to get a person of his choice appointed as a minister or even get a minister sacked if he or she is not following his policies or obeying his instructions. If ministers Maran and Raja were allowed to go ahead with their alleged nefarious activities,one would take it that they have been following the PM's policies and instructions or that the PM did not bother to find out whether they were doing that or not. Either way the PM cannot escape blame for what the ministers did or did not do. The Indian public opinion, for some strange reason, doesn't seem to think so.
I hope the media doesn't expose any more scams. Anyone who follows the trend will just want to puke...Can't take this anymore.....Why should we go and vote? It has always been a choice between devil and deep blue see for us in TN...
Yes,Mr. Parthasarathy!
This is the same country which our father of nation who once used clothes made by himself and saw dream of "RAMARAJYA" and attended round table conference in beckingham palace in halfnaked costume and the now defenceminister Sri.A.K. Antony while holding food porfolio resigned from office by hearing a news of bribery by somebody else, We can be optimistic since Gandhian Hazare has ignited the fireworks and Ramdev has added fuel and there are people like Subhramanyam swamy.Thank God" Sambhavami yuge yuge.
So, what was the BJP doing when Mr Dayanidhi Maran was giving away these licences? Sleeping? Their job as a responsible opposition is to hold the government to account. In a morally corrupt country like ours, they have to hold ALL decisions by the government to intense scrutiny and hold them to account.
This does not mean I am supporting the Maran brothers - when the time comes for the congress to be in opposition, they should also hold the BJP government to account and intensely scrutinize all decisions.
It seems like there's boundless tolerance for corruption and the corrupt in India. It's more a cultural issue than a moral or political issue in India. I guess everyone has either bribed or taken a bribe so tend to take a lenient view of corruption.
This is Modern India, home of corruption, pollution, congestion, apathy and cowardliness. These crooks will print more of the fake Indian currencies, exchange some for real currency and then use the remaining to bribe everyone in the establishment...One fine day, all these cases will be "dismissed" for "lack of evidence" or "technicality", Indian people will forget or move on, Pakistan and China will continue to bribe Indian politicians and kick India's ass, India will cry and run to Uncle Sam to complain against Pakis and Chinkus, US will call India a "strategic partner", turn around and give Pakis billions of dollars to help their "ally on terror", Russia will continue to screw and snub India at the same time and idiots - also known as patriots and honest citizens - will brag/bullshit about "India Shining" etc.
I have a better idea...sell the remaining unsold portions of India to Pakis and China. That way, there are no more scandals to complain about in India, since India will be Pakistan/Terroristan and China/Crookina.
P.M. will not and never tell Dayanidhi Maran to quit or P.M. will drop him from the ministery because few months back Honourable Supreme court Judge slammed Vilasrao Deshmukh for his role in stopping the police officer not to file an FIR against a congress legislator Dilip Sananda and advised the P.M. to drop him from the ministery but what we are seeing? nothing. He is still enjoying the ministery. Is there any action from the Govt for politicians involved in Telgi's stamp paper scam that he named? No action. The view of our Primeminister is "ACTION AND REACTION BOTH ARE EQUAL AND OPPOSITE" and therefore no actions are necessary.
The so called charges are just wild allegations without any valid proof. D. Maran at his time as minister was remembered a minister who was technocrat and effective in vitalizing the mobile telephone services sector and bringing much needed foreign investment. He made it possible for the growth of this service which Indians so much depend on now. The CBI should first investigate and make sure the allegations have a basis in verifiable facts.
@Vishwa, this is not the time to point to J's mistakes. Your comment is a perfect case of losing focus.
It now looks like everyone who was even remotely related to the Telecom ministry from 2000 onwards - ministers, politicians and corporates alike - are tainted! Such large scale connivance goes to show that the corrupt will go to any extent to benefit by abusing their power and influence.
She has a court case against her going on for years. And yet, she wants others to resign even before a case is made against them
This is all that she will do - cry hoarse against the DMK, point fingers against everyone else, not do anything for the people, and retire to her palace in Kodanadu at the slightest opportunity.
I fault the people of TamilNadu. They should have taken the risk and voted in someone new.
everythihng looks like well orchestrated. One should investigate why a number of license applications from Aircel was kept pending in the ministry before Maxis bought 74% of Aircel. What made the ministry to change its mind in allocating spectrum to Aircel after Maxis came into picture ? This could probably lead to why Maxis decided to invest in Sun Direct! Also, isint he the one who said "People make money when in power" ? At the moment, there is too much suspicion on Mr Maran. The only way to redeem himself is to quit the minister post and proove in the court of law that he is clean. If he can, that is!
PM should answer this and it his well know fact that he is responsible for his ministries or else its time for him to step down from his position!!!
It should so happen that we have a proper system thats is visible and clear and whosoever comes to power just follows it. Here after doing malacious practice pointing fingers.In Tamil Nadu even auto is not having proper meter they are plundering in milliliter and politicians governing them in liters and cabinet persons in kiloliters.How are we going to overcome? During election may be O49 but after election ?
I wonder if this is the same country which produced the greats like Lal Bahadur Shasthri who resigned his post of minister for an accident which took place in Ariyalur owning responsibility - is also the mother to sons like Dayanidhi Maran and A Raja!!
She must clear charges against her before pointing finger at others. Of course it doesn't mean that KD brothers should be let free.
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