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No criminality by Chidambaram: Pranab to PM
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has made it clear to PM that the controverial `note` did not suggest any criminality of P Chidambaram during his stint as finance minister.
Zeenews Bureau
New Delhi: The Congress-led UPA government is putting its best foot forward to sort out the controversy created by a Finance Ministry note suggesting that the then Finance Minister P Chidambaram could have prevented spectrum from being given away at throwaway prices, by insisting on its auction.
The Centre is expected to put a strong legal defence in favour of Chidambaram in the apex court, which resumes hearing on Thursday on a petition filed by Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy, seeking a CBI inquiry against Chidambaram’s role in the 2G spectrum scam. In a late night development, Union Minister Pranab Mukherjee yesterday wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi explaining the ministerial note. As per reports, he made it clear that the note did not suggest any criminality or indictment of P Chidambaram during his stint as finance minister.
It has been learnt that Mukherjee also stressed on the fact that the Prime Minister`s Office was kept in the loop about the note and even gave inputs for it. The Finance Minister`s letter also gave a detailed explanation over the sequence of events that led to the note on 2G being made.
Amid growing concern within the government as well as the Congress party about the political fallout of the 2G note controversy, Chidambaram yesterday met Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.
This was the first meeting between the two after the latest controversy suggestive of a tussle between two senior ministers of the UPA government became public.
Importantly, UPA chief Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh have strongly backed Chidambaram. The PM has stressed that he has no doubt about the integrity of his Home Minister.
In a separate development, Finance Minister Mukherjee yesterday met MoS in PMO V Narayanswamy, Rajiv Shukla and Pawan Bansal. As per reports the 2 note was discussed during the meeting but there is no official confirmation of the same.
New Delhi: The Congress-led UPA government is putting its best foot forward to sort out the controversy created by a Finance Ministry note suggesting that the then Finance Minister P Chidambaram could have prevented spectrum from being given away at throwaway prices, by insisting on its auction.
The Centre is expected to put a strong legal defence in favour of Chidambaram in the apex court, which resumes hearing on Thursday on a petition filed by Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy, seeking a CBI inquiry against Chidambaram’s role in the 2G spectrum scam. In a late night development, Union Minister Pranab Mukherjee yesterday wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi explaining the ministerial note. As per reports, he made it clear that the note did not suggest any criminality or indictment of P Chidambaram during his stint as finance minister.
It has been learnt that Mukherjee also stressed on the fact that the Prime Minister`s Office was kept in the loop about the note and even gave inputs for it. The Finance Minister`s letter also gave a detailed explanation over the sequence of events that led to the note on 2G being made.
Amid growing concern within the government as well as the Congress party about the political fallout of the 2G note controversy, Chidambaram yesterday met Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.
This was the first meeting between the two after the latest controversy suggestive of a tussle between two senior ministers of the UPA government became public.
Importantly, UPA chief Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh have strongly backed Chidambaram. The PM has stressed that he has no doubt about the integrity of his Home Minister.
In a separate development, Finance Minister Mukherjee yesterday met MoS in PMO V Narayanswamy, Rajiv Shukla and Pawan Bansal. As per reports the 2 note was discussed during the meeting but there is no official confirmation of the same.