Under Oppn attack in LS, PC reads son’s statement

With the Opposition targeting him in the Lok Sabha for alleged involvement in the Aircel-Maxis deal, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram today read out a statement by his son Karti declaring that neither he nor any member of his family had acquired or had any stake in Aircel or Maxis.

"I categorically state that neither me nor any member of my family have acquired or hold any stake in any telecom company. In particular, I categorically state that neither I nor any member of my family have acquired or hold any share in either Aircel or Maxis," Chidambaram told the Lok Sabha, reading from Karti's statement, amid the Opposition's vociferous demands for his resignation.

"The statement was first made by a person who is known to indulge in making wild and reckless allegations. It is unfortunate that the same allegation should be repeated in Parliament by an honourable Member of Parliament. It is deeply regretted that the privileged forum of Parliament is misused to level wild and reckless allegations against a private citizen," he read, as BJP members trooped to the well of the House.

The Opposition's attack came during zero hour, when senior BJP leader and former finance minister Yashwant Sinha said the Rs 4,000-crore Aircel-Maxis deal had raised several questions, while alleging that Karti Chidambaram had a five per cent stake in either Aircel or Maxis. He also sought a clarification from Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, pointing out that while the Opposition had been waiting to raise the issue in Parliament, the government had issued a clarification on the FIPB clearance to the deal.

"Prima facie, what has happened is a big scam and the government should not hush it up," he said. Without naming Chidambaram, who was the finance minister in 2006 when the deal took place, Sinha alleged that the minister had not recused himself when the matter came up before the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) which he headed. Sinha said there was a conflict of interest as Chidambaram's son had reportedly bought five per cent shares. He also wondered how Maxis could buy 99.3 per cent of the shares of Aircel when the rules state that foreign equity cannot exceed 74 per cent.

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