New Delhi:
The Supreme Court will today resume hearing on the plea of Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy, who has sought a CBI investigation into what he calls Home Minister P Chidambaram's role in the 2G scam.
To bolster his plea, Mr Swamy has presented in court the Finance Ministry note of March 2011 that has caused huge political turbulence in the ruling Congress. The note, seen by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, says Mr Chidambaram, then Finance Minister, could have intervened and 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.
Yesterday, the CBI told the Supreme Court that there is no need to consider investigating P Chidambaram's actions during the telecom scam.
While the CBI argued that "the Finance Ministry note is nothing new," the Centre told the Supreme Court that the document will be examined by the CBI. The lawyer for the CBI took strong exception to this stand, and argued, "Someone can't put words into our mouth and say we will investigate. I strongly object to this statement. The CBI is an autonomous body."
The CBI's lawyer also said that the Finance Ministry note is a "conclusion drawn from a 500-page file which we had examined."
The government has so far backed Mr Chidambaram vociferously, with the Prime Minister stating that the Home Minister enjoys his "complete confidence." Mr Mukherjee has described Mr Chidambaram as "a pillar of strength" to the government in what's being seen as an attempt to assuage his upset colleague. Mr Chidambaram reportedly told the PM last week that the note against him is the result of an orchestrated campaign within the government against him.
While the Supreme Court is monitoring the CBI's investigation into the telecom scam, the case is actually being tried by a lower court. The government has argued that it should be upto this lower court to handle issues like whether to consider the Finance Ministry note against Mr Chidambaram. The Centre has also said that the Supreme Court need not monitor the 2G case anymore.
To bolster his plea, Mr Swamy has presented in court the Finance Ministry note of March 2011 that has caused huge political turbulence in the ruling Congress. The note, seen by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, says Mr Chidambaram, then Finance Minister, could have intervened and 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.
Yesterday, the CBI told the Supreme Court that there is no need to consider investigating P Chidambaram's actions during the telecom scam.
While the CBI argued that "the Finance Ministry note is nothing new," the Centre told the Supreme Court that the document will be examined by the CBI. The lawyer for the CBI took strong exception to this stand, and argued, "Someone can't put words into our mouth and say we will investigate. I strongly object to this statement. The CBI is an autonomous body."
The CBI's lawyer also said that the Finance Ministry note is a "conclusion drawn from a 500-page file which we had examined."
The government has so far backed Mr Chidambaram vociferously, with the Prime Minister stating that the Home Minister enjoys his "complete confidence." Mr Mukherjee has described Mr Chidambaram as "a pillar of strength" to the government in what's being seen as an attempt to assuage his upset colleague. Mr Chidambaram reportedly told the PM last week that the note against him is the result of an orchestrated campaign within the government against him.
While the Supreme Court is monitoring the CBI's investigation into the telecom scam, the case is actually being tried by a lower court. The government has argued that it should be upto this lower court to handle issues like whether to consider the Finance Ministry note against Mr Chidambaram. The Centre has also said that the Supreme Court need not monitor the 2G case anymore.
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