'CBI move is last ditch effort to save Chidambaram in 2G case'

New Delhi, Nov 19: Defending the then NDA cabinet's decision on spectrum allocation, BJP today (Nov 19) termed CBI's move to register cases against officials on alleged irregularities in the 2G scam as a ''political conspiracy'' and a ''last ditch attempt'' to save Home Minister P Chidambaram in the case.

BJP spokesperson and MP Prakash Javadekar said the CBI is being used as a tool by the Congress-led UPA government to protect Chidambaram, whom it alleged of being equally complicit with former Telecom Minister A Raja in the 2G scam.

"This case has been filed to prevent a probe against then Finance Minister P Chidambaram. We had submitted proof against him recently and the Prime Minister has himself accepted that the 2G allocations were made only after Chidambaram gave his nod. So both Raja and Chidambaram are equally guilty. This is a case of complicity and equal responsibility," Javadekar said.

He defended the decisions taken by the then NDA government when Mahajan was the Telecom Minister and alleged that the fresh case by the CBI was an effort to mislead the 2G spectrum investigations.

"The NDA cabinet took the right policy decision. What is happening now is part of a political conspiracy and is a last ditch effort to save Chidambaram. This is the worst political abuse of CBI by the Congress," Javadekar said.

BJP rued that no case has been filed or raids conducted on the application and evidence it had submitted to the government on the issue.

Defending Mahajan, Javadekar said, "All decisions were taken by the Cabinet and did not favour any company." He alleged that Congress was back to its "old tricks".

"There was Congress complicity in the 2G spectrum case. It is not a franchise corruption but a coalition corruption in which Congress is equally responsible," Javadekar said. He maintained that during the NDA dispensation, nobody was prevented from submitting applications for spectrum and neither was the date of application preponed as was allegedly done by Raja.

PTI