Demands for CBI probe into Aircel-Maxis deal in LS

New Delhi, Mar 2: Demands for an urgent CBI inquiry into the Aircel-Maxis issue was made in the Lok Sabha today, with AIADMK members alleging involvement of Karti Chidambaram, son of former Finance Minister, in the "shady deal" which they claimed had links with the 2G scam.

Participating in a special discussion on the issue, T J Venkatesh (AIADMK) also repeatedly referred to two former DMK Union Ministers and a former Finance Minister in the UPA-II by name but Speaker Sumitra Mahajan disallowed it.

Venkatesh regretted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power on the promise of unearthing black money, but his government was doing precious little to bring to book those behind the Aircel-Maxis deal which has "deep roots in the infamous 2G scam, the biggest in independent India".

Amid loud protests from Congrerss and Left members, the debate was taken up with Speaker Sumitra Mahajan saying she had got a notice of BJD leader Bhartruhari Mahtab for a discussion on the matter and she was allowing it.

Congress and Left members were protesting against the immediate taking up of discussion on the Aircel-Maxis issue when the Motion of Thanks for the President for his address was still being debated by the House. Congress members were heard protesting the "match-fixing" between a section of the opposition and the government.

Congress and Left members later staged a walkout when Venkatesh started speaking after Mahtab initiated the debate. Mahtab claimed that no FIR has been lodged yet in the Aircel-Maxis deal and CBI and ED have not filed chargesheet so far, despite the fact that the money laundering trail in the deal has allegedly spread to 14 countries including British Virgin Islands.

Mahtab, who was interruped sometimes even by TMC's Saugata Roy, wondered whether the BJP and Congress were "doing a match fixing" by ensuring no action in the deal allegedly involving some of the powerful people in the UPA-II. Speaker earlier allowed the discussion by overruling the points of order raised by Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge and TMC's Saugata Roy.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu made a strong pitch for such a debate noting that there were umpteen number of discussions on the Ayodhya issue and those related to Gujarat earlier despite the matters being sub-judice.

Earlier, AIADMK MPs created ruckus in Lok Sabha for the second day today demanding action against former Union Minister P Chidambaram's son Karti on the Aircel-Maxis issue as Speaker Sumitra Mahajan allowed them to raise the matter later in the day.

PTI