Govt backs Chidambaram, says he had no role in 2G allocation

New Delhi, Dec 10: Coming out in strong defence of Home Minister P Chidambaram, Kapil Sibal today attacked the BJP-led NDA of attempting to "foist" culpability on him in the 2 G scam saying it was a desperate attempt to make Parliamentary democracy dysfunctional.

Sibal held a press conference to say that the government rejected all allegations against Chidambaram, Finance Minister at the time of spectrum allocation, and alleged that elements in the NDA were trying to malign and defame him.

He also said the then Telecom Minister A Raja did not hold any meeting with Chidambaram prior to the issuance of the Letter of Intent (LoI) to telecom operators (2G spectrum allocation) on January 10, 2008. "In fact, the record will show that the Ministry of Finance had no no knowledge that the LoIs would be issued on January 10, 2008," Sibal said.

He said Chidambaram as Finance Minister was in no way responsible for issue of Letter of Intent by Telecom Ministry then headed by A Raja in January 2008. He said no official of the Finance Ministry, including the then Finance Minister, had committed any "irregularity or misconduct" in the spectrum allocation. "People in NDA are trying to malign and defame P Chidambaram.

We reject all allegations against him in the 2G scam. Chidambaram is a valued colleague. He discharged his duties without any fear or favour," the Minister said.

PTI