2G scam: attempts to embroil Chidambaram

The BJP on Friday sought to enmesh home minister P Chidambaram of the Congress in the 2G spectrum imbroglio, which has so far mainly involved Congress ally DMK, two of whose union ministers have lost their positions over the scam.

Claiming that Chidambaram, as finance minister in the earlier UPA government, had ignored a suggestion made by his ministry to take the auction route for allotting spectrum, the BJP demanded his, ouster saying ''2G was no longer an ally affair''.

The main opposition party was relaying to the media the account given by department of economic affairs (DAE) officials to the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Thursday.

The officials reportedly told JPC that an internal note prepared by an additional secretary in the finance ministry was put to Chidambaram on 9 January 2008, a day before the actual allocation took place, the auction route.
 
BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said Chidambaram could have ''stopped'' the allocation which resulted in a huge loss to the exchequer on the basis of that note. She said he did not do so.

She said the then finance minister days later wrote to the prime minister suggesting that the auction route be adopted for ''future spectrum allocations'' and to ''treat all allocations made in the past as a closed chapter''.

The BJP also pointed to a ''crucial'' meeting between Chidambaram with the then telecom minister A Raja on 29 May 2008, of which there are no minutes.