Cong welcomes annulment of Antrix-Devas deal

New Delhi, Feb 17 (PTI) Congress today welcomed theannulment of the S-Band spectrum deal between ISRO''scommercial arm Antrix and Devas Multimedia, saying that thedecision was taken in national interest amid apprehensionsabout loss to the exchequer.

"If goverment has taken a decision in its wisdom inthe national interest, it should be welcomed by all. If therewere apprehensions that there will be loss to nationalexchequer with this deal, the decision (of scrapping it)should be welcomed by all," party spokesperson Shakeel Ahmedtold reporters.

The decision of annulment taken by the CabinetCommittee on Security (CCS) today came in the wake of a ragingcontroversy over the deal for handing over 70 Mhz of S-Bandspectrum to the private firm for Rs 1,000 crore on which theCAG has already initiated action.

Ahmed also reacted strongly to Gujarat Chief MinisterNarendra Modi''s scathing attack on Prime Minister ManmohanSingh saying his remark on Amit Shah was the "biggest joke of2011".

In a veiled reference to Shah during his interactionwith TV editors yesterday, Singh said, "The Oppositionparties, particularly BJP has taken a hostile attitude and thereasons that have been given frankly I cannot mention it inpublic... because you have taken some decision against aparticular person, who was a minister in Gujarat, you mustreverse it. I don''t want to add further."

Describing Modi''s attack on the Prime Minister overthe issue as "unfortunate, the Congress spokespersonquestioned, "Does the opposition to GST in all BJP-ruledstates to defend a person accused in fake encounter mean thatthe entire BJP was involved in fake encounter?"

Modi has said,"Prime Minister tried to associateGujarat in his press conference to wash off the stains onhimself. This is the joke of the year 2011. This is laughable"adding "instead of blaming any minister from Gujarat or thestate government, the prime minister should give true factsabout his failures before the people of India." PTI AMR