Dr Manmohan Singh has returned to Delhi tonight from the US to a politically-brittle atmosphere. "There are no dissensions in my Cabinet," he said on the plane, shortly before he was scheduled to land in India.
Dr Singh also reiterated, "Home Minister P Chidambaram enjoys my full confidence."
The Prime Minister spoke to reporters on a special Air India flight that's bringing him back to Delhi after he addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York. While he has been away, a controversy has engulfed Mr Chidambaram, emboldening the Opposition to demand his resignation. In its favour, the Opposition has a note written by the Finance Ministry that questions whether Mr Chidambaram, as Finance Minister in 2008, did enough to enforce an auction of valuable second-generation or 2G spectrum.
The fact that Mr Chidambaram has been faulted by a section of his own government has been an Everest-sized boon for the Opposition. It has also been interpreted as sign of internal rift within the Congress, with many suggesting that Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee sought to undermine Mr Chidambaram via the note. The document was in fact prepared by a bureaucrat; but it declares it was "seen by" Mr Mukherjee, suggesting that he approved of its findings.
"The Opposition wants to force early elections; we will complete the full term", said the PM about the new developments in the epic that the 2G scam has turned into. He also said that the controversies being seized by the Opposition like the 2G scam - were in the public realm when the UPA was re-elected to power in 2009.
"Therefore, I suspect there are other forces which want to destabilise our country," Dr Singh said.
The Finance Ministry's note against Mr Chidambram was accessed via the Right to Information Act and submitted in the Supreme Court last week. Since then, the government has tried to dismiss it with Law Minister Salman Khurshid describing it as the work of "a junior bureaucrat." But a parliamentary committee set up to study the telecom scam expressed its anger today over not being given a copy of the note. The Joint Parliamentary Committee or JPC has also asked that all ministries guarantee in writing that they have submitted all documents relevant to the allocation of 2G spectrum, which is at the centre of the scam.
The Supreme Court has also yet to decide whether the note against Mr Chidambaram means that he should be investigated in connection with the scam. Both the government and the CBI have said there is no need for an inquiry against the Home Minister.
Last evening, party president Sonia Gandhi met separately with Mr Chidambram and Mr Mukherjee - her attempt to broker peace, according to some within the party. The government has said that after the PM returns, the government will address the 2G note controversy via a press conference.
Dr Singh also reiterated, "Home Minister P Chidambaram enjoys my full confidence."
The Prime Minister spoke to reporters on a special Air India flight that's bringing him back to Delhi after he addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York. While he has been away, a controversy has engulfed Mr Chidambaram, emboldening the Opposition to demand his resignation. In its favour, the Opposition has a note written by the Finance Ministry that questions whether Mr Chidambaram, as Finance Minister in 2008, did enough to enforce an auction of valuable second-generation or 2G spectrum.
The fact that Mr Chidambaram has been faulted by a section of his own government has been an Everest-sized boon for the Opposition. It has also been interpreted as sign of internal rift within the Congress, with many suggesting that Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee sought to undermine Mr Chidambaram via the note. The document was in fact prepared by a bureaucrat; but it declares it was "seen by" Mr Mukherjee, suggesting that he approved of its findings.
"The Opposition wants to force early elections; we will complete the full term", said the PM about the new developments in the epic that the 2G scam has turned into. He also said that the controversies being seized by the Opposition like the 2G scam - were in the public realm when the UPA was re-elected to power in 2009.
"Therefore, I suspect there are other forces which want to destabilise our country," Dr Singh said.
The Finance Ministry's note against Mr Chidambram was accessed via the Right to Information Act and submitted in the Supreme Court last week. Since then, the government has tried to dismiss it with Law Minister Salman Khurshid describing it as the work of "a junior bureaucrat." But a parliamentary committee set up to study the telecom scam expressed its anger today over not being given a copy of the note. The Joint Parliamentary Committee or JPC has also asked that all ministries guarantee in writing that they have submitted all documents relevant to the allocation of 2G spectrum, which is at the centre of the scam.
The Supreme Court has also yet to decide whether the note against Mr Chidambaram means that he should be investigated in connection with the scam. Both the government and the CBI have said there is no need for an inquiry against the Home Minister.
Last evening, party president Sonia Gandhi met separately with Mr Chidambram and Mr Mukherjee - her attempt to broker peace, according to some within the party. The government has said that after the PM returns, the government will address the 2G note controversy via a press conference.
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