2G scam: PM Manmohan Singh files affidavit
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday filed an affidavit on the 2G spectrum allocation scam.
According to reports, the 11-page affidavit denied any inaction on part of the Prime Minister?s Office (PMO) over the prosecution of tainted former telecom minister A Raja.
India’s Attorney General filed the affidavit in the Supreme Court on behalf of the Prime Minister on Saturday on the 2G scam after the apex judiciary rapped the PM for his alleged delay in responding to a plea for prosecuting the former telecom minister.
The Supreme Court had given the government time till Saturday for the affidavit to be filed.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is being represented by India’s top legal officer, the Attorney General, in the Supreme Court after the PM was asked to reply why he did not act on a plea to prosecute A Raja, the former telecom minister accused of enacting the multi-billion 2G spectrum scam.
Attorney General of India GE Vahanvati replaced Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium to argue for the Prime Minister who faced an unprecedented rebuke by the Supreme Court on the 2G scam.
Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium said he would continue to represent the central government and the telecom department in the case while the AG will represent the Prime Minister.
The 2G Spectrum scam spelt the biggest embarrassment for the Central government on Thursday as the Supreme Court (SC) sought an affidavit on behalf of the Prime Minister while Opposition stalled proceedings in the Parliament over the scam.
The court was responding to the allegations of no response from the PMO to Janata Dal leader Subramanium Swamy’s repeated letters seeking sanction to prosecute former Telecom minister A Raja in the scam which cost the state exchequer Rs 1.76 lakh crore (nearly $40 billion).
“The matter is extremely serious. We must know what has been kept back,” the court said after Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium replied on why there was delay in sanctioning prosecution of former telecom minister A Raja.
On Tuesday, the court had asked the government to explain why the PM took 11 months to respond to a request by former Law Minister Subramaniam Swamy that asked for Raja to be prosecuted for the 2G scam.