Former Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) chairman Pradip Baijal has claimed in a self-published book, that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had threatened him and even warned him of "harm" if he did not cooperate in the 2G scam.
"They (CBI) had warned me in each case (cases related to 2G scam and disinvestments) that I would be harmed if I didn't cooperate. Incidentally, this was exactly what the eminent economist Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh) had told me would happen if I did not cooperate in their scheme of things in the 2G case," quoted Baijal from his book 'The Complete Story of Indian Reforms: 2G, Power and Private Enterprise - A Practitioner's Diary'.
Baijal claimed that the PM dismissed his concerns in 2004, over Dayanidhi Maran being appointed as telecom minister as a case of conflict of interest, since Maran is a broadcaster and TRAI had been made broadcasting regulator in 2004. Baijal said that Maran told him that he is the "Prime Minister, Telecom" and warned that he would face "harm" if he did not follow his instructions.
"In 2003, the government had asked me to give the Unified Service Licensing (USL) recommendations within 6 months. I gave the recommendation in a year. The government had told me not to give the recommendation. But I felt would get into serious trouble if I didn't give the recommendation. So I gave it," Baijal told. "After that, I was not treated properly," he said.
"The problem with that recommendation was that it did not support the old USL regime. The old regime continued which led to the 2G scam. People tried to implicate me in the scam. I was not concerned with the scam. I'd left TRAI in 2006 whereas the scam took place in 2007 and 2008," he added.
"It's a predictable coincidence that on the first anniversary of PM Modi's government, Baijal has explained everything," BJP spokesperson MJ Akbar told. "We are talking about the highest in the land when we talk about the Prime Minister. This is evidence of everything the BJP has been saying. This is evidence of the most shocking truth, of corruption, of the most venomous kind which had become a cancer in the UPA," he said. "This brings to an end the nonsense Congress has started about BJP being pro-corporate. It is actually Congress, which is really hand in glove with massively corrupt crony capitalists," Akbar said.
Congress spokesperson Rashmi Kanth said, "It is rather surprising that Baijal is disclosing all this 7 to 8 years later, on the eve of the first anniversary of the Modi government. He is just following the line of the BJP to defame the UPA. Has the then Prime Minister confirmed this? How can you take Mr Baijal's views at face value?"
The UPA government, which was neck deep in corruption was voted out by the people of this country. Now that more and more dirty linen of scams is coming out. The congress has a Vice President has gone absconding in the name of sabbatical for 56 days, while the Indian Prime Minister was on foreign visit to bring in FDI which will create job opportunity for the educated youth.
By Premji
