Cong dismisses Shourie''s claim of telling PM about 2G ''loot''

New Delhi, Feb 11 (PTI) Congress today rebutted formerTelecom Minister Arun Shourie''s reported claim that he hadapprised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of the Spectrum scamand said it was a "travesty of truth" and is a "consciousattempt to confuse and confound".

"It is most unfortunate and most regrettable that suchsweeping allegations were made against a person of impeccableintegrity like the Prime Minister...it is a travesty of truthand a conscious attempt to mislead and misinform, confuse andconfound," party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi told reporters.

Maintaining that there was "absolutely no communication"of any kind as such by the concerned person to the PrimeMinister or the Prime Minister''s office, Singhvi questionedthe timing of the revelation by the former minister.

"Why such sweeping allegations were made only after theone-man committee chaired by Justice Shivraj Patil submitted areport, which has catalogued certain illegalities andirregularities by successive governments in last eight-nineyears as far as bureaucracy and ministers of their departmentsare concerned...".

"Why should the former minister take that report sopersonally that instead of defending himself, he is attackingthe Prime Minister without any basis of facts," Singhvi said.

To a specific question on whether he is denying Shourie''sclaim of meeting the Prime Minister on the issue, Singhvisaid, "I have said there was no communication, which means alltypes of communication."

He, however, refused to entertain queries on whether hehas verified the genuineness of the allegation from the PrimeMinister''s Office or the government but stressed he wasspeaking on behalf of Congress party which is the leadingpartner in the UPA government.

Singhvi said Shourie raising the issue after lapse of somuch time raised serious questions about the true motive ofhim as well of his party behind bringing the allegations.

The Congress spokesperson questioned if Shourie had thefacts why did he not bring the issues in public domain muchearlier and why the allegations are now being levelled afterpassage of such a long time.

"Is it not to divert attention, to digress from the issuewhether for himself or for the BJP? Instead of diverting ordigressing, BJP should have enquired, as this government hasdone, irrespective of the political colour of the specificgovernment," he said.

Shourie had told a newspaper "a person very close to thedeals started giving out a detailed account of all thecompanies that received undue favour...Armed with thosedetails (of front companies), I met the PM in the Rajya Sabhaaround August-September 2009...

"I told the PM showing him details and papers in theRajya Sabha corridor, please have a look at these details.

There is a loot going on in your name and all the evidence ishere," Shourie had said. .