New Delhi: Sources have told CNN-IBN that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called up Home Minister P Chidambaram and told him that he has faith in his integrity. Manmohan Singh also speak to Pranab Mukherjee over the Finance Ministry note suggesting chidambaram could have prevented the 2G scam.
Congress defends Chidambaram
Earlier, the Congress and the government on Thursday defended Home Minister Chidambaram after a Finance ministry note to the PMO suggests he could have prevented the 2G scam. The Congress also denied a rift within the party over the 2G scam.
The Congress and the Union Law minister Salman Khurshid strongly defended Chidambaram and rejected any suggestion that he had a role to play in the 2G scam.
The Congress and government have also said there are no differences between key ministers. The clarification came a day after CNN-IBN accessed an 11-page Finance ministry note through an RTI activist.
The note says that former Telecom Minister A Raja could have been forced to cancel 2G licenses allotted in January 2008 if Chidambaram - who was then the Finance Minister - had intervened.
The Finance Ministry note dated March 25, 2011 was sent to the PMO. The note was accessed through an RTI query. Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy who is the petitioner in the 2G case has now presented the note as evidence in the court.
"We have no reason to put a question mark on Mr Chidambaram's conduct. We stand by him. we cannot comment on the paper till court takes it into account. It is just one sided presentation of documents," said Salman Khurshid.
Speaking to CNN-IBN, Ambika Soni said that the Congress party has full faith in the integrity of the Home Minister.
"We stand by the Home Minister's integrity. The matter is sub judice as the law minister has pointed out," she said.
"Where is the talk of drift coming from. We have promises, we have agendas and we are working at fulfilling them," said Ambika Soni.
Earlier, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday refused to comment on a letter sent by his ministry to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the 2G spectrum scam, saying he cannot make any remark on the matter is it is "subjudice".
"The matter is subjudice. I cannot make any comment on it. The whole matter is under the scrutiny of the Supreme Court of India. We cannot make any comment on any matter that is subjudice," Mukherjee, who is New York to attend an India-US
Earlier, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee refused to comment on a letter sent by his ministry to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the 2G spectrum scam, saying he cannot make any remark on the matter is it is "sub judice".
"The matter is sub judice. I cannot make any comment on it. The whole matter is under the scrutiny of the Supreme Court of India. We cannot make any comment on any matter that is sub judice,"Pranab said.
Subramanian Swamy, who has moved Supreme Court seeking a CBI probe against Chidambaram, said that the documents bloster his plea.
"It in fact bolsters what the CAG report had said on pages 26 and 27 that Chidambaram, if he didn't want to agree with the price he could have used transaction or business rules for the cabinet and got it down. So I think frankly speaking, the CBI inquiry has become necessary and my trial court petition asking that he be made a co-accused also strengthens," said Swamy.
The BJP meanwhile has demanded that Chidambaram should resign and face a probe.
"Mr Mukherjee does not confirm it, that means he is admitting it. That is what BJP is saying. It was raised by the BJP but was not heard. It was only heard when the Supreme Court intervenes. We have raised this issue again and again," said Rajiv Pratap Rudy.
"The corruption in the allocation of the spectrum could have been avoided. Today the truth has come out. The PM should order an investigation into the role of P Chidambaram in the 2G scam," said Ravi Shankar Prasad.
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