PM defends Raja; says UPA could have done better

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today refused to admit any wrongdoing by the telecom minister A Raja in the auctions of the second generation telecom spectrum, but admitted to lapses on the part of his government on the economic front where, he said, "there is always room for improvements."

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh addressing the National Press Conference, in New Delhi

"I would be the first person to admit that we could have done more. We should not be satisfied with what we have achieved. There is always room for improvement and for better outcomes. But I do believe that the record of our first year is a record of reasonable achievement."

Addressing the media today, the first after he assumed office for a second term of the UPA government, the prime minister said auction of second generation 2G airwaves to telecom firms was above board. He gave a clean chit to communications minister A Raja, pending conclusion of a probe.

Manmohan Singh held his first formal press meet in India as prime minister during the second term of the UPA government at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on Monday.

Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) have called the 2G auction a $15-billion scam and had sought Raja's resignation.

Raja, the prime minister said, did not flout any rules, he was only implementing the UPA government's policies by selling spectrum for second-generation (2G) telecom services at prices prevailing in 2001.