Raja's statement also indicts Vajpayee: Congress

New Delhi, Jul 27: Congress on Tuesday, Jul 26 sought to turn the tables on the BJP over A Raja's allegations in the 2G scam case telling the Opposition party that the former Telecom Minister's statement "squarely indicts" former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee also in the scandal.

"If the BJP decides to make a song and dance about one part of Raja's statement, then the other part of his statement squarely indicts Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee also," party spokesman Manish Tewari said.

His statement came close on the heels of BJP's demand for resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over the 2G issue in the backdrop of Raja's allegations in the court.

Raja on Tuesday had claimed in a Delhi court that the issue of sale of equity by spectrum licencees was discussed with Singh and the then Finance Minister P Chidambaram, prompting the BJP to demand the resignation of Prime Minister and also that of Chidambaram.

Tewari's refrain was that Raja's claims were statements of an "accused trying to defend himself at the time of framing of charges".

He said the migration policy initiated by the NDA government led by the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had led to a loss of Rs 43,000 crore to the exchequer, which has risen to Rs 1.73 lakh crore.

Vajpayee had taken over the Ministry of Communication from Jagmohan in 1999, Tewari recalled.

PTI