2G scam: Advani demands answers on PMO’s role

The note had sought to suggest that then Finance Minster P Chidambaram could have prevented the 2G scam by insisting on auctioning the spectrum.

Advani also accused the Congress of making its ally DMK a “scapegoat” in the 2G case.

“You can’t try to make one of your alliance partners a scapegoat for all the corruption that has been going on in the government,” he said.

Advani,who is in Goa as a part of his anti-graft yatra,said,“Congress as a party is no less responsible than any of the alliance partners for the corruption.

“I have no sympathy for any alliance partner. I have no sympathy for anyone indulging in corruption…I hope,when Parliament session begins this time,all the facts would be brought to the notice of the country and Parliament,” he said.

The BJP leader is in Goa since Tuesday and would be leaving for Maharashtra in the evening.

Advani claimed it was “evident” that Chidambaram had a role to play by not insisting on auctioning the spectrum and that the Prime Minister should have ordered an inquiry against the minister instead of expressing confidence in him.

“If the PMO understood rightly that Chidambaram did not take preventive and remedial measures in time in order to prevent loss of public revenue in 2G allocation,then it was incumbent upon the Prime Minister to permit investigation into his role instead of expressing confidence in Chidambaram that he is innocent,” he said.

Advani said fresh facts that have come out now through Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s September 26 letter to the Prime minister,“The Finance Ministry note on 2G spectrum was in fact prepared in consultation with the Cabinet Secretariat and on the insistence of the Prime Minister’s Office.”

Advani said with every passing day,new revelations were coming out making the 2G scam “curiouser and curiouser” and demanded that all facts may be brought to light.

The BJP leader sought to know what has been the PMO’s role in the case,what has been the Cabinet Secretariat’s role in this and what was the full truth about the kind of “civil war” going on between the two senior-most ministers in this government.

Advani said,“The country would like to know the full facts about this 2G scam and how much is the PMO’s responsibility and how much is the then finance minister’s responsibility.”

He said the Prime Minister sorted out the civil war by announcing who will officiate in his absence.

“It was strange for me as the member of Lok Sabha to find there is a minister who is on par with the Leader of the House… There can’t be another minister who is supposed to be at par with you. All these are things that makes the government functioning even more difficult.”

Advani termed the Prime Minister’s comments on moving decisively against corruption as “hollow” and said “even otherwise the record of Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi in the fight against corruption is highly unsatisfactory”.

“When he was not the Prime Minister,I used to respect him. Because then,there were no expectations from him,” he said,adding,:But now,everyone believes that he is a weak Prime Minister.”

He claimed the government has “a lot to hide” and called for investigating the role of all senior functionaries of the government in these scams.

On the issue of black money,Advani said the UPA should make public the names of those,who have stashed their black money in foreign banks.

“There is already a talk of two Members of Parliament being identified (for stashing away black money). This is an issue,where there should be no hush-hush,” the BJP leader said.

On the response to his yatra so far,Advani said,“The participation of people of all classes,regions and religions only confirms that India awaits a change.”