P Chidambaram in Bengaluru said that the CAG report on telecom sector was a gross exaggeration and the political twist given to it is costing the country. (Photo: ANI)
Congress leader and former Union Minister P Chidambaram on Sunday said that the CAG report on telecom sector was a “gross exaggeration” and the country was paying the price for the political twist given to the issue by political parties.
“The CAG report on telecom sector was a gross exaggeration. I think we failed to treat a business problem as a business problem. It was very convenient for a few political parties to give it a political twist and the whole country is paying the price for it,” Chidambaram said in Bengaluru.
The 77-page report on the 2G spectrum allocation ‘scam’ was arguably one of the biggest dents in UPAs armour and was one of the biggest factors leading to the anti-incumbency against the UPA in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The CAG report had claimed wrongdoings in the spectrum allocation and implicated then Union Minister A Raja, then Telecom Secretary and other big names, accusing them of causing massive loss to the public exchequer. Recently, however, all the accused were acquitted by the court.
Speaking on the recent PNB scam and Nirav Modi, he said: “It’s all happening in one sector — jewellery. Key players seem to have come from one state–Gujarat. It’s not happening across sectors and states. Obviously, people have been helped at some level. Who or how helped, I have no evidence.”
On the upcoming elections in Karnataka, Chidambaram said that people needed to ask hard questions to the present government alleging that it lives in denial.
“In Gujarat, they asked some hard questions. I think the next opportunity to ask questions is coming in Karnataka. We should begin to ask hard questions. Unless more and more people ask questions to the present govt it will continue to live in denial,” he said.
Stressing on the Congress’ strong performance in the Gujarat elections recently, he hinted the party is focussed on Karnataka, the last big state it holds power in. Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pakora analogy over job creation, he said, “They know there is a dearth of jobs. They deem selling ‘pakoras’ as jobs. That is like adding salt to wounds.”
With ANI inputs
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- Mar 11, 2018 at 9:21 pmCkonghress prior to 2014 should have circulated that Executive Administration is super powerful than Audit, i.e., CAG and the tradition would have automatically welcomed and continued. On the other hand a combined fifty fifty per cent responsibility is thrown by executive and audit by legislature. This is preventing to override the audit.Reply
- AnmolMar 11, 2018 at 9:10 pmIt is clear Vinod Rai was BJP agent.Reply
- AnmolMar 11, 2018 at 9:00 pmVinod Rai did a shoddy work, even the court let off all the accused. Anyway, BJP reaped all the benefit and Congress paid political price of Vinod's shoddy work or connivance with BJP.Reply
Sabir HasanMar 11, 2018 at 8:34 pmCongress failed to effectively communicate to the masses whereas jokers of other parties thru their hidden 3 agents in saffron clothes could successfully vilify the INC.Reply- Mar 11, 2018 at 8:05 pmMr PC what is the correct figure?Reply
- Sabir HasanMar 11, 2018 at 8:32 pmZERO LOSSReply
- Mar 11, 2018 at 9:35 pmA gain of 10,000 crores to the government. The CAG is a BJP agent. So is everybody who thinks this was a scam. Ask Angel from Heaven Ishrat Jehan if you are still not convinced.Reply
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