New Delhi:
Dayanidhi Maran and A Raja, who have both served as Telecom Minister, will depose for the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) that's investigating the 2G scam. A total of 85 witnesses are to be summoned. They will include representatives of top industrialists and BJP members like Arun Shourie and Yashwant Sinha who handled telecom policy during the NDA regime.
The committee that combines representatives of different political parties is examining the alleged nexus between Corporate India and politicians which birthed India's largest-ever swindle. Telecom licences were sold at throwaway prices to companies who were ineligible for them. Mr Raja, who was arrested in February for conspiracy and cheating, is currently in jail. He has been accused of engineering the scam along with companies like Unitech Wireless and Reliance Telecom. Senior executives from these companies have also been imprisoned.
Mr Maran, who like Mr Raja is from the DMK, is reportedly under pressure now to quit as Textiles Minister. The CBI is investigating complaints that during his tenure as Telecom Minister from 2004 to 2007, Mr Maran forced the former owner of Aircel to sell his company to a Malaysia-based firm, known for its proximity to Mr Maran's family. C Sivasankaran told the CBI yesterday that when Mr Maran was Telecom Minister, he refused to grant licences necessary for Aircel to operate mobile networks. After years of being denied, Mr Sivasankaran sold his telecom to A Anandakrishnan. The new owner was granted 14 licences. A few months later, Mr Anandakrishnan invested 800 crores in Sun TV, owned by Mr Maran's brother. The allegation is that the investment in Sun was a kickback for the telecom licences granted to Aircel.
Mr Maran has denied the charges against him. "Nobody can force anyone to sell business. I have never had to force anyone. If anyone felt they were being forced, they could have gone to court," the minister said yesterday.
Last evening, when asked about Mr Maran's case, the Prime Minister said that the CBI had been asked to do its job "without fear of favour." His remarks came after his office received a detailed report from the CBI on different charges against the Textiles Minister.
In its dossier to the Prime Minister, the CBI has also reportedly confirmed that when Mr Maran was Communications Minister, he had close to 300 telephone lines set up at his home in Chennai's boat Club area. These lines were allegedly made available at no cost to the Sun TV office and were used for transferring video and other data. Mr Maran last week said these charges were incorrect.