The editorial “The habit of covering up” (June 2) has raised pertinent questions regarding the involvement of Ministers and bigwigs other than A. Raja in the 2G spectrum scandal before 2007-08, and the whereabouts of the rest of the money. The declared maxims of Sonia Gandhi and the proclaimed principles of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh are evidently not being practised. Dr. Singh should ask Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran to resign. The questions on his alleged acts favouring his family-run Sun Direct TV Pvt. Ltd. need to be examined seriously.
B. Rajasekaran,Bangalore
The reports that the former Telecom Minister's policies benefited the company of Sun TV network owned by his brother Kalanidhi Maran has brought to light yet another case of alleged misuse of power by the DMK Ministers. The sequence of events — from the change of FDI norms in the telecom sector, the Maxis group acquiring a 74 per cent stake in Aircel, the Telecom Ministry granting 14 2-G Unified Access Services Licences to Aircel and the Maxis group's subsequent investment in Sun Direct TV Pvt. Limited — points to a very clear route map of misuse of power. The nation is already shocked by the mega spectrum scam, in which too DMK members have been charge sheeted. With the latest disclosures, the credibility of the UPA government, particularly the DMK functionaries, has been eroded.
Muralidharan Raju Iyer,Chennai
The editorial is incisive, thought-provoking and timely. If the UPA government refuses to see the writing on the wall even now, it will have only itself to blame for the inevitable catastrophe.
V. Balasubramanian,Coimbatore
For the DMK, already beleaguered by the arrest of Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi in connection with the 2G spectrum issue and the defeat in the recent Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, the Maran episode has brought more trouble. The revelations about the Textile Minister's alleged moves favouring his family during his tenure as Telecom Minister have given the Opposition yet another chance to put the UPA government in a spot. It will be interesting to see how the Congress, which promised to take corruption head on, responds.
Pratham Dwivedi,New Delhi
Dr Singh, in spite of his proven uprightness, honesty and integrity, has become a soft target. He is like the captain of a ship caught in a vicious storm. He can resign. But imagine the chaos that will follow. Dr. Singh should tell himself ‘thus far and no more.' He should expose the corrupt so that the nation is rid of the bad elements.
J.V. Reddy,Nellore
The habit of covering up under the stewardship of Dr. Singh has come to such a pass that he is forced to send an entourage of his Cabinet to a Baba to persuade him not to go on a fast. The cartoon (June 2) says it all so poignantly.
Kasim Sait,Chennai
There seems no end to the predilections of UPA-II. More skeletons tumble out of its cupboard with each passing day. The mere detention of a few politicians and business tycoons is not enough, as there is something more to the 2G scam than meets the eye.
H.P. Murali,Bangalore
I fully agree with the views expressed in the editorial. Mr Maran needs to do a lot of explaining. His mere denial in terse phrases cannot sell as similar and, perhaps, more vociferous denials issued by another Central Minister have been laid bare now.
On a wider note, what is worrying is the magnitude of the scams that keep surfacing day after day. The Prime Minister can no longer remain silent. The nation expects him to act.
R. Kalyanaraman,Chennai
Dr. Singh should take the sensitive issue seriously and sort it out. Following Anna Hazare's style, Baba Ramdev has shocked the Congress by his decision to go on an indefinite fast. The atmosphere is surcharged with the spirit of upsurge against corruption, symbolised by the ruling UPA government. Dr. Singh should advise Mr. Maran to step down immediately.
S. Venugopalan,Chennai
The 2G spectrum scam seems to be too malignant a tumour. The amount so far said to have been unearthed is microscopic compared to the astronomical dimension of the scam. As the editorial rightly says, people have a right to know “where has the rest of the money gone.” The government requires a very strong political will to bring out the complete truth. But can the UPA II government, with its commitment to ‘coalition dharma,' act?
T. Raghavan,Chennai
The only fig leaf which the UPA is using to cover up the various acts of omission and commission in its government is Dr. Singh's credibility. But the fact that the 2G scam took place right under his nose proves that he was not in control. His personal integrity would have been commendable only if he had demanded similar conduct from his Ministers. A leader should be judged by the conduct of his followers.
Srinivas Chandrashekaran,Bangalore
A lot of noise is being made about Mr. Maran's handling of the Telecom Ministry between 2004 and 2007. Did not the Prime Minister know then that there was an obvious conflict of interest in his being given the Telecom portfolio? The responsibility of allocating Cabinet portfolios lies with the Prime Minister. It is Dr. Singh who should resign. The fact that he is personally clean is no defence against presiding over a corrupt Cabinet.
M. Srinivasan,Srirangam
