The Opposition greeted Textile Minister Dayanidhi Maran's resignation with measured glee,saying in a chorus that the 2G-tainted DMK leader's decision was long overdue and also questioning Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's delay in taking action against those who have come under corruption fire. The BJP went one ahead by also demanding Home Minister P Chidambaram's resignation,alleging the 2G scam took place because the Finance Ministry then headed by him had changed its stand on spectrum allocation. P Chidambaram should resign. We have already demanded this as the 2G spectrum scam could not have occurred had the Finance Ministry (then headed by him) not changed its stand on the issue of auctioning radiowaves, BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said today. Commenting on the resignation of Maran from the Union Cabinet,Javadekar said he should have resigned long ago. Why does the Prime Minister delay the removal of corrupt members of his team? Initially,efforts are made to defend them. When all routes are exhausted,action is taken, he said. Questioning Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,Javadekar said,Such delays put a question mark on the PM's capability to act on time. Referring to the 2G spectrum allocation scam,he said Chidambaram as Finance Minister had supported auctioning spectrum and had opposed selling it at 2001 rates. It was good. He supported auction which was a right stand, he said. On January 11,2008,spectrum was allocated on first-come-first-serve basis and on January 15,he (Chidambaram) had a change of heart and gave his fate accompli approval to it saying the allocation has been made,the criterion of auction could be applied in next allotment, Javadekar recalled quoting from the PAC's draft report on 2G scam. He said Chidambaram has a lot to explain on the issue as he practically gave sanction to the first-come-first-serve policy. there are no grounds for Chidambaram to continue. In Chennai,AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa said it was long overdue and that the Prime Minister should have made him quit earlier. This is something long overdue. The Prime Minister should have made him to resign long ago, she said. Asked if this was the end of DMK, with yet another top party leader becoming a casualty to the 2G scam,Jayalalithaa said The end of DMK had already been decided by the people,apparently referring to its rout in the April 13 Assembly polls. Asked if her government would pursue complaints against Maran's brother and media baron Kalanidhi Maran,both grandnephews of DMK chief M Karunanidhi,and his close associate,Sun Pictures COO Hansraj Saxena,Jayalalithaa said most certainly. The police will look into whatever complaints received against them,she added. Saxena has already been arrested in connection with a cheating and intimidation case. CPI(M) politburo member Brinda Karat said Maran resigned because there was no alternative for him and sought an explanation from the Prime Minister on the issue. CPI leader D Raja termed the resignation of Maran as too late and sought Prime Minister's explanation on the development. The resignation of Maran is too late. He should have done this a long time ago as the allegations are very serious. Now it is for the Prime Minister to explain to the people and to Parliament, he said. He said with the series of scandals,the UPA-II government stood thoroughly exposed.
