The war of words on the 2G spectrum allocation scam between the Tatas and Rajiv Chandrasekhar, independent Rajya Sabha MP from Karnataka, continued on Friday.
While the Tata Teleservices Limited (TTSL) termed Mr. Chandrasekhar's statement — which attacked the Tatas and former TRAI Chairman Pradeep Baijal for allegedly helping them to get a Unified Access Services Licence (UASL) — a “futile” attempt and “cheap gimmick,” Mr. Chandrasekhar said he did not want to engage in any discussion with TTSL.
His debate, he said, was with Ratan Tata, chairman of the Tata group, and would remain at that level. Any grievances that the TTSL had against incumbent GSM operators and other dual technology operators should be addressed to the Government and not him, he added.
Mr. Chandrasekhar said he stood by every statement that he had made about the Tatas benefiting from the various policy flip-flops and the role of lobbyists in this regard.
Earlier, the TTSL said it never got spectrum licences out of turn and had always been put behind in the queue, and that this was evident from the fact that the company was yet to receive 2G spectrum in Delhi and 39 other locations even three years after paying the licence fee of Rs.1,651 crore.
On allegations against Mr. Baijal vis-à-vis the Tatas getting the licence, the TTSL said: “…linking a former regulator whose powers were only to make non-binding recommendations, insinuating that he granted huge benefits to TTSL, is nothing but a cheap gimmick.”
Published - December 18, 2010 01:50 am IST
