Former Union Telecom Minister A. Raja on Thursday hailed the 2G verdict and said the presumptive loss to the exchequer was cooked up by vested interests.
In a statement, he said his faith in the nation’s justice system had been validated through the verdict.
“I brought in a revolution in the telecom sector. It is not unknown in history that a person who created a revolution is often termed a criminal. Vested interests manipulated public perception by leveraging the media and sensationalising fabricated allegations,” Mr. Raja said.
He said the decisions he took as the then Telecom Minister were for the benefit of the masses and to make wireless telecom services more affordable and available, while adhering to the National Telecom Policy (NTP) and recommendations of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
“I have felt vindicated all along even prior to this judgment because the beneficial results of my actions are evident and being enjoyed by the nation’s public, especially the poor,” Mr. Raja said.
He said being an advocate himself, he had full faith in the judicial system and that is why he cooperated with the trial and did not seek even a day’s adjournment.
Mr. Raja said he had the “courage and confidence” to step into the witness box and gave evidence and offer himself for cross-examination by the CBI, which is rare for criminal trials in India. “The trial court has repeatedly observed that my evidence was cogent, credible and consistent with the official records, in contrast with the evidence of the prosecution witnesses, which has been rejected as untrustworthy,” Mr. Raja added.
He said the trial judge had held that it was not just a case of the prosecution failing to prove its allegations, but a case where the prosecution case itself was false.
He thanked DMK chief M. Karunanidhi and party working president M.K. Stalin and cadre for their “unflinching support during the dark period” of his life.
