2G scam: Govt comes to Chidambaram's rescue on Subramanian Swamy's allegations

The government came to Home Minister P Chidambaram's defence on Saturday with IT and Communications Minister Kapil Sibal strongly refuting accusations by Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy that Chidambaram was party to the 2G scam.

Swamy has accused that the home minister had a role in fixing the entry fee for new players as finance minister and hence should be prosecuted in the spectrum scam.

Sibal said Chidambaram was being maligned by the Opposition, although he as finance minister had not played any role in issuing letter of intents (LoI) to new players or fixing the entry fee at Rs 1,650 crore.

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"It is pre-posterous to suggest that P Chidamabaram had any role in fixing the entry fee or issuing the LoIs," Sibal told reporters in the national capital, adding that Chidambaram had in fact recommended for an increase in entry fee, which was not agreed to by A Raja.

Swamy has sought to make Chidambaram a party in the spectrum case, saying the decision on spectrum pricing was taken in 2008 - jointly by him and then communications minister A Raja, who is lodged in Tihar Jail since February 2.

A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court has allowed Swamy to again depose before it as a witness to prove his claim of the home minister's alleged complicity in the spectrum scam.

Department of Telecommunications, under Raja's tenure, had issued LOIs on January 10, 2008. This too, Sibal said, was done without the knowledge of Chidambaram.

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"There was no meeting between the Finance Minister and A Raja prior to January 10, 2008 on this issue," said Sibal.

He added that CBI had in fact found nothing wrong with Chidambaram's conduct during his tenure as finance minister.

"Therefore any attempt by the Opposition to foist any culpability on P Chidambaram is not only irresponsible but is yet another desperate attempt to make the institution of parliamentary democracy disfunctional," Sibal said.

"P Chidambaram is a valued colleague and has discharged his responsibilities without fear or favour and absolute integrity and devotion," he said.