2G note: Cold war,temporary truce

“A number of stories on 2G spectrum had appeared in the media in January 2011. A view was taken that a harmonized note based on facts should be produced for use by various representatives of the government. A group of officers prepared an inter-ministerial background paper which was sent to PMO on 25th March 2011.

“Apart from the factual background,the paper contains certain inferences and interpretations,which do not reflect my views.

“The policy of the government in 2007-2008 was continuation of the policy adopted in October 2003 and as reiterated by TRAI.”

This prompted Chidambaram to remark: “I am happy about the statement made by my senior and distinguished colleague and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee. I accept his statement. As far as all of us in the government are concerned,the matter is closed.”

How enduring that closure will be is unclear as the BJP rejected the statement saying this just reinforced its point that the Government was trying to evade responsibility,paper the cracks,and called for a “thorough” probe into Chidambaram’s “role.”

Mukherjee’s statement comes after the intervention of the Prime Minister and party president Sonia Gandhi who held a series of meetings on Thursday. Incidentally,according to the covering letter with the March 25 note,the Finance Minister (Mukherjee) had “seen” the note before it was sent to the PMO.

Earlier,at the meeting of the Group of Ministers on the media,the Home Minister and his colleagues discussed the Finance Ministry note and agreed to “close the entire matter” on Thursday itself.

After Mukherjee’s statement,Sonia Gandhi called on the Prime Minister at his residence. It was their first meeting since she had gone to the US in the first week of August for surgery for an undisclosed ailment. Earlier in the day,Sonia,who held separate meetings with Chidambaram and Mukherjee last Monday,held discussions with her Political Secretary Ahmed Patel and Defence Minister A K Antony; and separate meetings with Mukherjee and Chidambaram.

Mukherjee had earlier written to the Prime Minister that the note was actually an inter-ministerial background paper,which had been prepared at the behest of the PMO and that officials from different ministries,the Cabinet Secretariat and the PMO,too,were involved in the exercise.