2G note: Congress in damage-control mode

New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who cut a cake to celebrate his 79th birthday mid-air, is returning to India, bang in the middle of a political war-zone. There is the reported war between two of his senior-most ministers over the controversial Finance Ministry note on 2G; and there is the war that an unrelenting Opposition is waging. Then, there is a rap on the knuckles from a parliament panel.

On board his special aircraft, as he headed home, the PM dismissed reports of "dissension in my Cabinet" and said, "The Opposition wants to force early elections; We will complete a full term." He also said he suspected that "there are other forces which want to destabilise our country." And added that his Home Minister P Chidambaram "enjoys my full confidence." (Watch) 

As it waited for him to return, the Congress has been engaged in frenzied damage control. The controversy over the note sent by Pranab Mukherjee's Finance Ministry to the Prime Minister' Office on the 2G spectrum scam in March this year has the top echelons of the party exercised - Congress president Sonia Gandhi met both Mr Chidambaram and Mr Mukherjee separately last evening. There were reports that Mr Chidambaram had offered to resign. (Read: Chidambaram offers to quit? Pranab meets Sonia) 

He is upset because the Finance Ministry note questions his actions when the telecom scam was playing out in 2008. It suggests that Mr Chidambaram, who was then Finance Minister, should have done more to ensure that spectrum was not given at throwaway rates to companies that were being favoured by A Raja, who was then Telecom Minister and is now in jail.

Law Minister Salman Khurshid, who has spent the last few days trying to play down the issue, said today that, "There is no war in the UPA, we have the best of cordial relations." A few hours before the PM returns he also told NDTV, "Disagreements are a part of policy-making" and pointed out that "Pranab Mukherjee didn't write the 2G note himself; he has not taken a position." (Watch)

Mr Mukherjee, he said, would take that position on the note after talking to his officials and colleagues. "As minister I can say, there is a big difference between a letter written by a minister and one seen by him," Mr Khurshid said of the Finance Ministry note and said the Government would issue a united statement once the Prime Minister had met everyone.  

The controversial note, made public through an Right to Information (RTI) application, was presented in the Supreme Court last week by Subramanian Swamy, triggering reports of a rift between the two senior ministers and quickly became a major embarrassment for the Manmohan Singh government. Today, as the Supreme Court heard arguments on Mr Swamy's plea that Mr Chidambaram's alleged role be investigated in the 2G scam, the CBI said a flat no to doing so. The investigating agency and the Centre differed in the court with the CBI taking exception to the Government's remark that the investigation agency would examine the controversial note. (Read: 2G note against Chidambaram offers no new info, says CBI)

In more ignominy for the government, the chairman of a Joint Parliamentary Committee studying the 2G scam said today that the Finance Secretary would be summoned on October 13 to discuss the note. The panel has also sought an affidavit from central ministries, including the Prime Minister's Office, as an assurance that all relevant documents have been submitted to it. At today's meeting, MPs from Opposition parties and who are part of the panel asked why the Finance Ministry note had not been submitted or mentioned in the past and demanded that Finance Ministry officials be summoned. They accused the government of deliberately keeping them "in the dark." (Read) 

The BJP has demanded that the Prime Minister "sack Mr Chidambaram immediately" and that he be investigated in the telecom scam. Slamming the Manmohan Singh government, senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley said that the political developments around the 2G note could not be treated as an "internal matter of the Congress" as it had ramifications for the country as a whole.

Both Mr Mukherjee and Dr Singh were away from the country when the 2G note controversy erupted last week. Mrs Sonia Gandhi was in Delhi and so was Mr Chidambaram, but the Congress president chose to meet the Home Minister only once the Finance Minister was back. She then held meetings at her 10 Janpath residence, first with Mr Chidambaram and then with Mr Mukherjee in quick succession. Sources said Mrs Gandhi could call another meeting with both the ministers and the Prime Minister present. Dr Singh had been in the US for the past few days to address the United Nations General Assembly.

Late on Monday night, Law Minister Salman Khurshid and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Narayansamy met Mr Mukherjee at his residence. Sources have told NDTV that the legal implication of the Finance Ministry's note was examined at the meeting.

"I have many things on my mind and he's our senior leader. I seek his advice. But I think this matter will not be taken up until the PM comes. He has said to you very clearly, they must have discussed something and let PM come back. I don't think we should speculate at all, please," Mr Khurshid said after the meeting.

Mr Narayansamy tried to downplay the crisis. "I normally come and meet him at least twice in a week. Who said there is crisis? There is no crisis. Who is telling you there is a crisis?" he asked.

That is in line with the Congress' attempt at knitting together a twin strategy on the issue - one part is to back Mr Chidambaram to the hilt and minister after Congress minister is doing that. The other is to distance Mr Mukherjee from the controversial note. Law Minister Salman Khurshid yesterday said that it was drafted by a lower official of the Finance Ministry and that the minister had little to do with it. He too tried to play down the controversy as one of the media's making.

The Home Minister also got oblique support from unexpected quarters when DMK chief Karunanidhi said last evening that he "won't support any move to unseat any union minister from Tamil Nadu." (Read)

And before leaving his North Block office for 10 Janpath last evening, Mr Mukherjee praised his Cabinet colleague, saying, "Chidambaram is a valued colleague...a pillar of strength for party and government."

Both Mr Chidambaram and Mr Mukherjee have steadfastly refused to comment on the note controversy till the Prime Minister is back. Mr Mukherjee, on his arrival at the Delhi airport yesterday, promised he would hold a full-fledged press conference over the matter once the PM was back. From abroad, the PM backed both his ministers; he reportedly spoke on the phone to an upset Mr Chidambaram from Frankfurt on his way to the US last week, asking him not to act in haste and assuring him of his full confidence. He did the same publically when addressing media persons and rubbished reports of a rift in his government.  

On Tuesday, Mr Mukherjee, who was in Kolkata, held his ground saying he would speak only "after talking to the Prime Minister and other senior colleagues tomorrow."

The Opposition has ringside seats to the Congress' internal pow-wow and sees much political opportunity. It is now resolutely gunning for Mr Chidambaram. The BJP today sought that the Prime Minister sack the Home Minister. To "allow for a free and impartial investigation," said party spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman.