Two-G (2G) Spectrum Scam Tapes and follow-up

Tamang · Post by **Tamang** » 19 Nov 2010 00:37

@ ajit_tr - Instead of using [img] tags please use [url] tags for these images.

Edit: On 2nd thoughts maybe [img] is better.

Tonight Barkha herself read out the statement of NDTV chairman on the Nira-Barkha tapes.

Hiten · Post by **Hiten** » 19 Nov 2010 00:38

@ajit_tr
pics from the last 2 of your posts bit too big for posting as is. Would be better if you post thumbnails linked to the original-sized pictures

Thanks

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 19 Nov 2010 00:40

ajit, please replace these images with the thumbnails.
thanks a lot. good work.

RamaY · Post by **RamaY** » 19 Nov 2010 00:43

It is interesting that no news channel takes these "eminent journalists" to task. These things go the same way as "eminent Historians" who were not exposed on desi media after ayodhya verdict.

ajit_tr · Post by **ajit_tr** » 19 Nov 2010 00:44

ok rahul lwait i'll replace them

partha · Post by **partha** » 19 Nov 2010 00:49

http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/ ... -with-raja

RADIA: Narayanan’s [MK, National Security Advisor at the time] meeting is going on?

RAJA: Narayanan’s meeting is over. He has gone to Delhi, with cover.

What is the job of NSA?

darshhan · Post by **darshhan** » 19 Nov 2010 00:50

RoyG wrote:so what's next for the congress?

And DMK?

RamaY · Post by **RamaY** » 19 Nov 2010 00:58

I have a pooch!

If CBI got these telephone taps, that means GOI knows them (MMS, NSA, PC??). Then why releasing them now???

Does it mean INC is kicking DMK out of the tent? (Pommanaleka poga pettinattu = smoke them out if you cant say it straight???). This is what comes to my mind.

INC is sending a message to other groups -
- Alliance partners >> We can kick you, whenever we want
- Businessmen >> Dont make unnecessary statements on corruption (just pay the dues). Coincidentally Ratan Tata made anti-corruption statements just last week
- Media & PR >> You be a tool in our hands and we give you padmas. If you think too much about yourself, you will go to the dog house.

What is the message to opposition??? Don't use telephones

as we both are in the same situation???

darshhan · Post by **darshhan** » 19 Nov 2010 01:02

After going through the transcripts I came to the following conclusions among other things.

1.How insecure these politicians really are.
2.How this lobbyist lady Niira Radia is controlling the conversations.It gives me shudders to think that a lobbyist can actually manipulate our Ministers and MPs to such an extent.

RamaY · Post by **RamaY** » 19 Nov 2010 01:07

^ Rahul Mehta scores again

ajit_tr · Post by **ajit_tr** » 19 Nov 2010 01:08

Barkha Vir Tata

Some very highly startling revelations have been made in the media in last few days where allegations of very serious nature have come up. They relate to some of the top political persons, industrial houses and media persons. The persons being named in these reports are extremely influential and powerful ones.

In the center of all this turmoil is a person named Ms Nira Radia. The Noesis Consultancy service of which she is a director says- “Ms. Nira has been an entrepreneur for more than 25 years, with extensive consultancy experience in the Aviation, Travel, Tourism and the Communication industry.” She is apparently in the Public Relations business with her Vaishnavi Enterprises. What have created the storm are some documents and taped conversations. The documents include the so-called letters written by Sri Vineet Agrawal, a B Tech from IIT Delhi and an IPS officer of Maharashtra Cadre, 1994 batch to Sri Milap Jain, a very senior IRS officer and currently the Director General of Investigation in New Delhi. Sri Agrawal presumably wrote this letter while he was DIG of Anti-corruption Branch in CBI at New Delhi. From the contents of a letter circulating widely on Internet, it seems that the case No RC DAI 2009 A /0045 relates to section 13(2) r/w 13(1)(d) of Prevention of Corruption Act in which allegations as regards criminal conspiracy between certain public authorities and private persons in the grant of UAS licences related with the Ministry of Telecommunications in the year 2007-08 are being investigated. As per this letter dated 16/09/2009, Sri Agarwal mentions that one Ms Nira Radia of Noesis Consultancy was actively involved in this criminal conspiracy.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 19 Nov 2010 01:16

After a couple of pages try to draw a network diagram and see who is in and out. Are all the telecom corporations in this scam or only a select few?

darshhan · Post by **darshhan** » 19 Nov 2010 01:23

RamaY wrote:I have a pooch!

If CBI got these telephone taps, that means GOI knows them (MMS, NSA, PC??). Then why releasing them now???

Does it mean INC is kicking DMK out of the tent? (Pommanaleka poga pettinattu = smoke them out if you cant say it straight???). This is what comes to my mind.

INC is sending a message to other groups -
- Alliance partners >> We can kick you, whenever we want
- Businessmen >> Dont make unnecessary statements on corruption (just pay the dues). Coincidentally Ratan Tata made anti-corruption statements just last week
- Media & PR >> You be a tool in our hands and we give you padmas. If you think too much about yourself, you will go to the dog house.

What is the message to opposition??? Don't use telephones as we both are in the same situation???

Ramayji , I am thinking the same.Infact there is no transcript of congress party members available even when Barkha makes it absolutely clear that she will go ahead and talk to them(Ahmed patel and any one else).But then Ahmed Patel is a Sonia loyalist and hence untouchable.Hence it seems that CBI on the instructions of GoI has implicated only DMK members.I am sure CBI must have tapped the phones of congressis as well but those transcripts will never come out.

RamaY · Post by **RamaY** » 19 Nov 2010 01:43

It is extremely saddening to see the state of affairs. No one expected people to be 400% clean, but make it reasonable to the nation at least.

If we reduce the amount embezzled by 50% in this scam alone (Rs 50-85,000 crores) , GOI could have developed another round of NHDP or develop atleast 20,000 villages (Andhra Pradesh has ~27,000 villages) to developed nation level.

Hopefully most of the money stays in India for it sinks down to aam-admi thru elections, arrack, or RE price boom (agri fields are converted into residential/industrial areas).

None of telugu news papers cover this item as of today.

The RE boom in and around Hyderabad made dozens of villagers (within 30-40KM radius) crorepatis. My village in west godavari dist (Andhra Pradesh) which is 420KM from Hyderabad is running at Rs 50 Lakhs/Acre agri-land.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 19 Nov 2010 01:46

You need a scam for yourself to uplift your village!

New slogan: A scam for everyone !

RamaY · Post by **RamaY** » 19 Nov 2010 01:52

Not a bad idea.

My economics professor told us that 'corruption' is like grease in the machine for economies like India (full of red tape).

I don't mind a scam for every village campaign as long as all the money is spent within the village economy

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 19 Nov 2010 01:57

Imagine , when india can afford hajaro scam like this and not a dent in economy!!
What was Raja trying to do, Buy a South Asian country in the neighborhood.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 19 Nov 2010 02:04

TRAI is recommedning cancelling 69 licenses:

LINK

For non-use of the allocated spectrum

darshhan · Post by **darshhan** » 19 Nov 2010 02:05

Guys , While corruption might not be making a dent big enough on the economy , it does increase the hollowness of the nation state and the govt.If everybody starts getting corrupt then what would be the state of the nation.So let us not try to justify corruption.Let us hope that now courts move ahead and cancel the 2G spectrum allocation and orders a new auction altogether.

milindc · Post by **milindc** » 19 Nov 2010 02:20

It is hilarious, Vishnu reading out NDTV's CEO statement. Something about Journalist uprightness and that Barkha was using her sources for story and that she was not being a Power Dalal....

Utter shamelessness from these upright journalists...

ShyamSP · Post by **ShyamSP** » 19 Nov 2010 02:22

RamaY wrote:It is extremely saddening to see the state of affairs. No one expected people to be 400% clean, but make it reasonable to the nation at least.

If we reduce the amount embezzled by 50% in this scam alone (Rs 50-85,000 crores) , GOI could have developed another round of NHDP or develop atleast 20,000 villages (Andhra Pradesh has ~27,000 villages) to developed nation level.

Hopefully most of the money stays in India for it sinks down to aam-admi thru elections, arrack, or RE price boom (agri fields are converted into residential/industrial areas).

None of telugu news papers cover this item as of today.

The RE boom in and around Hyderabad made dozens of villagers (within 30-40KM radius) crorepatis. My village in west godavari dist (Andhra Pradesh) which is 420KM from Hyderabad is running at Rs 50 Lakhs/Acre agri-land.

They are covering okay but saying YS Jagan is saved by DMK Raja as what AP politicians ate is Pakoda * in the side while Tamil and Central politicians ate full meals. Despite sending a contigent of 33 MPs, their share in Central funds is meager.

* Pakoda figures based what local newspapers gave at different times:
YSR&family: 20000 crores
Congressmen: 300-1000 crores (for those friendly to YSR or with plum posts)
KCR: 300 crores (from screw AP project)
Chiranjeevi: 800 crores (from screw TDP project during elections)

Whole reason according to one newspaper for these corruptions on others (non-Gandhis) are coming out is to project the prince charming as clean alternative and rub negatives on MMS for ineffective handling. I think by elections time, all this become old news and they will bring out dirt on BJP and so prince can come out of Uttara Kumara image and be shown as Arjuna.

Ofcourse, all this makes Maharastra ex-CM dunce politician who got screwed for corruption in paisas.

Rupesh · Post by **Rupesh** » 19 Nov 2010 03:07

^^^
Maharashtra CM lost his gaddi for being a miser and contributing onlee 2 peti for Madam's rally

Any chance DButt will spend some time in Tihar or atleast get fired from her job, i would like to see her face when she is being whisked away by Delhi Police and hundreds of Mikes being thrust in her face for her comments!!

shaardula · Post by **shaardula** » 19 Nov 2010 03:31

who says there is no dent to the economy?
http://www.hindu.com/2010/11/18/stories ... 021100.htm

India is losing nearly Rs.240 crore every 24 hours, on average, in illegal financial flows out of the country. The nation lost $213 billion (roughly Rs.9.7 lakh crore) in illegal capital flight between 1948 and 2008. However, over $125 billion (Rs.5.7 lakh crore) of that was lost in just this decade between 2000-2008, according to a study by Global Financial Integrity (GFI). These “illicit financial flows,” says GFI, “were generally the product of corruption, bribery and kickbacks, criminal activities and efforts to shelter wealth from a country's tax authorities.” GFI is a programme of the Center for International Policy, Washington D.C. It is a non-profit research and advocacy body that “promotes national and multilateral policies, safeguards, and agreements aimed at curtailing the cross-border flow of illegal money.”

In just five years from 2004-08 alone, the country lost roughly Rs.4.3 lakh crore to such outflows. That is — nearly two and a half times the value of the 2G telecom scam now exercising Parliament and the media. The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) pegs the 2G scam at almost Rs.1.8 lakh crore.

Accounting for the rate of return on those illegal outflows, the present value of that $ 213 billion reaches $ 462 billion (Rs.21 lakh crore) says GFI. Astonishingly, over $96 billion of that amount left the country between 2004 and 2008. As the report's author, Dev Kar, told The Hindu: “India is losing capital at an average rate of $19.3 billion per annum ... India can ill afford to ignore such a loss of capital.”

As the report puts it: “Had India managed to avoid this staggering loss of capital, the country could have paid off its outstanding external debt of $230.6 billion (as of end-2008) and have another half left over for poverty alleviation and economic development.”

At the 2004-08 pace (if it has not gone up), the economy is haemorrhaging at a rate of nearly Rs.240 crore every day on average. And even the total $462 billion, says GFI Director Raymond W. Baker in a letter prefacing the report, is “a conservative estimate. It does not include smuggling, certain forms of trade mispricing and gaps in available statistics.” Factor these in, and “it is entirely reasonable to estimate that more than a half-trillion dollars have drained from India since independence.”

So massive are these illegal outflows, says the study, that the “total capital flight represents approximately 16.6 per cent of India's GDP as of year-end 2008.” Its estimate falls far short of the $1.4 trillion figure cited in the India media prior to the 2009 general elections. But, says the report, “the figure still represents a staggering loss of capital.” Illegal flight of capital, it says, “worsens income distribution, reduces the effectiveness of external aid, and hampers economic development.”

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 19 Nov 2010 03:37

Shaardula, That report was already discussed in the Indo-Us thread. Its psy-ops. Indian experts estiamte that $1.4T was the capital flight and locked up in overseas banks. What this report does is it halves it. And its a stick to beat India with as corrupt etc.

I trust our R. Vaidya to any US paid expert.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 19 Nov 2010 03:58

I think the big fishes will be never caught. Surprising why just Raja's name crops up, for this large scam he must have got help/pressure from so many other politicians and corporates. One more blow to our pet media.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 19 Nov 2010 04:11

Read ShyamSP's post on what the Telugu papers are saying. With Jaya in the background MK has no other place to go. It keeps the allies in check in case they are getting ideas. If the heat is on they might even arrest Raja. But then MK could dissolve the TN legislature and stay as caretaker till next elections in May 2011. And claim to be victimof central ire. So its Mexican standoff.

Also note how many Telecom ministers had to quit since 1998! It seems to be scam ministry.

amdavadi · Post by **amdavadi** » 19 Nov 2010 06:37

Niira Radia came on the scene back in 91-92. She was invited by sam pitroda. Thats when telco
started getting currupted. There are few names associated with Niira that are not out in the public.
But they will come out for sure. This stuff has been going on since 94-95, back then it was in range
of 5-8 caror. Now it has reach tripple digits keeping up with inflation.

niran · Post by **niran** » 19 Nov 2010 06:45

Rupesh wrote:^^^
Maharashtra CM lost his gaddi for being a miser and contributing onlee 2 peti for Madam's rally

Any chance DButt will spend some time in Tihar or atleast get fired from her job, i would like to see her face when she is being whisked away by Delhi Police and hundreds of Mikes being thrust in her face for her comments!!

now now we do not want to be seen as saddist are we? Bdutt and co are scape goats, kangress Empresss is in serious damage managment mode, lil lemmings
are sacrifcied enjoy the show. whats in few journalist losing lobs?hainji? there are millions in the que for Paadbharshree and glory, life goes on.

Rahul Mehta · Post by **Rahul Mehta** » 19 Nov 2010 07:35

RamaY wrote:^ Rahul Mehta scores again

Ten times bigger mega-scams happen in judocracy, mineral mining, crude-oil mining, PMO, super-PMO and other places. There is no shortage of scams. Arun Jetley sold Modern Food to Hindustan Lever for Rs 150 cr, even when MF had empty land worth Rs 1000 cr in Delhi alone. Arun Shourie pulled similar scams when he was Disinvestment Minister. MMS assisted Harshad Mehta and later assisted Telgi. Chidambaram is prince of corruption, if not a king. When ABV was Telecom Minister (after he kicked out Jagmohan in 1999), he pulled a similar scam of smaller scale to favor Reliance. Iron ore scams - lesser said better. And magnitude of crude-oil scams in India can be put in one question - who accidented YSR?

All scams come and go with a whimper. And moment a (dalit) Minister Raja pulls a mega-scam, suddenly people who never bothered to notice any scam of MMS, Sonia, Arun, Arun, ABV etc are all firing their guns at full speed. All of a sudden people who never bothered about corruption have become so much concerned about corruption. Are they against scams or scam pulled by (dalit) Raja? If they were so much against corruption, why do same people never wasted their even one second in campaigning for drafts of Government Notifications that would reduce corruption? And above all, when almost every judge in Supreme Court takes bribes these days or favors relatives, why do these ant-corruption jehadies refuse to propose drafts of Executive Notifications by which corruption in Supreme Court judges can be reduced? I smell more of anti-(dalit)-Raja cooking rather than any genuine concern against corruption in judges, policemen, mining, telecom, etc Ministers/IAS. Not much for me. Anyway, I wish happy Raja-bashing, happy DMK-bashing and happy Congress-bashing to all.

===

Ajit, All,

1. What drafts of Executive Notifications do you propose to reduce corruption in Telecom or other depts such Mining, judocracy, police etc?

2. What drafts of Executive Notifications do you propose to find out the ALL major beneficiaries of this Telecom scams and other telecom scams that has happened in say past 20 years?

===

I propose RTI2, and using RTI2 we should enact following Executive Notifications

1. Narco Test in public live telecast by Majority Vote
2. Imprisonment by Majority Vote
3. Execution by Majority Vote.

(For drafts of Executive Notifications to bring RTI2 and above 3 laws, pls see http://rahulmehta.com/301.pdf )

Using (1), we should conduct Narco Test on Raja, and every Minister involved in major scams in past 20 years including ABV, Aruns, MMS, Sonia, Chidambaram. Ten grams of Sodium Penthanol, and they will all sing like canary and it will be telecast live. We will have best entertainment of our lives. With information, we obtain proofs like account numbers in their Mauritius bank accounts. Using proofs and (3), we execute 51 topmost corrupt Ministers/IAS/judges, and using (2) we send the rest to prison for life.

These are drafts of the Executive Notifications I propose. What drafts do you propose?

.

nkumar · Post by **nkumar** » 19 Nov 2010 07:49

It appears that our cleanest and honest PM might not have acted very cleanly in this 2G scam. There seemed to be some sort of arrangement between Maran and PM on terms of reference of GoM, but it was not exactly followed by PMO to which Maran complained and got it revised. Arun Jaitley, who is known not to make lose statements, criticizes the role of PM in keeping pricing issue outside the scope of Empowered GoM.

2G scam: Raja had free run with PM consent?

NEW DELHI: As skeletons keep tumbling out of A Raja's cupboard, it has emerged that he could have had a free run due to an agreement worked out between DMK and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

A private news channel on Thursday reported that another DMK leader Dayanidhi Maran, who was Raja's predecessor as communications and IT minister, wrote to the PM that the issue of spectrum pricing be kept outside the empowered group of ministers (EGoM) mandate. Within months of setting up of the ministerial panel under Pranab Mukherjee, Maran is learnt to have written to the PM seeking a deletion of the clause that was included in the terms of reference of the EGoM.

"You had kindly assured me that the terms of reference (ToR) of the GoM would be drawn up exactly the way we wanted it which was to focus only on the issue of vacation of spectrum. The GoM has much wider terms of reference, which impinge upon the work of the ministry itself," Maran wrote in a letter on February 28, 2006. The channel reported that Maran asked the PM to get the terms of reference "modified on the lines suggested by us".

A few months later, B K Chaturvedi, who was then the cabinet secretary, issued the revised terms of reference something that did not go down too well with the finance ministry, which is responsible for collection of revenue by way of taxes and other levies and fees.

In fact, as late as April 2007, North Block is said have sought a review of the terms of reference but did not get a response to its demand.

Reacting to the expose, BJP leader Arun Jaitley said, "This pinpoints the culpability of the peime minister in the scam. SO far, he had appeared guilty of only inaction. Now, it emerges that the decision to keep the pricing issue outside the ambit of the EGoM was a conscious decision and it makes PM's role more critical."

Pricing of spectrum, which are airwaves that carry signals, is at the centre of the 2G scam. By bundling spectrum with licences in 2008 -- at prices discovered in 2001, the telecom department is estimated to have caused a loss of up to Rs 1.76 lakh crore to the exchequer, the Comptroller and Auditor General said in a report released earlier this week.

The report observed that during Raja's term in Sanchar Bhawan, the telecom department ignored advice from the Prime Minister's Office, the finance and law ministries, the telecom regulator and also its own officials and handed out licences and spectrum at low rates.

In its first innings, the UPA government was seen to be critically dependent on the DMK for survival in office. In fact, the government was forced into taking several decisions at the regional party's behest, including cancelling disinvestment of some public sector companies.

Meanwhile, PM also seems to be under fire from SC.

SC to PM: Explain silence on Raja

.......
A bench comprising Justices G S Singhvi and A K Ganguly gave the government two days – that is, till Saturday – to file an affidavit listing the reasons for the delay by the prime minister.

The SC's directive is unprecedented. This is the first time that the court has insisted on an explanation from a PM through an affidavit. Usually, it would settle for a perusal of files. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for Tuesday.
........

The solicitor general, G Subramaniam, tried to spin and save PM but could not do so.

Did SG put wrong facts before SC?

NEW DELHI: After perusing the relevant files in the Prime Minister's Office, solicitor general Gopal Subramaniam on Thursday emphatically told the Supreme Court that every letter of Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy had been dealt with adequately and responded to.

Swamy had on November 29, 2008, sent a petition to PM Manmohan Singh seeking sanction to prosecute then telecom minister A Raja on the basis of available evidence linking the latter to the 2G spectrum allocation scam. But he got a response from the Department of Personnel and Training on March 19, 2010. Swamy had claimed that he had sent five reminders to the PM on this issue.

The SG began the day's argument saying, "I am so glad I said (on Tuesday) that I will consult and come back. I have gone through the entire records and I can say with confidence that every letter of Swamy has been dealt with. Swamy has got all the replies. He has been answered adequately."

With one of the senior-most law officers speaking authoritatively, a Bench comprising Justices G S Singhvi and A K Ganguly wanted to know from Swamy whether he had received responses to all his communications.

Swamy said he had received only one on March 19, 2010 and another from Raja. TOI checked with government officials who had dealt with the files and they said Swamy was right. There was no response sent to Swamy on the issue of sanction except the letter dated March 19. All other letters were mere acknowledgements of his letters to the PM, they said.

So, did the SG put a wrong fact before the court? And was this the reason why the Bench insisted on an affidavit rather than adjudicating the legal issue raised by Swamy by hearing oral arguments? And will the SG be able to make the government file an affidavit on behalf of the PM stating that all letters from Swamy had been adequately responded to?
........

Now, PMO puts Oily Moily's @ass on fire...

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Under-fire-from-PM-but-Moily-says-all-s-well/Article1-628170.aspx

.....
The Prime Minister’s Office is learnt to have conveyed its displeasure to the ministry on the way the issue was handled. The ministry is now likely to ask the top law officer of the country, Attorney General GE Vahanvati to be also a part of the team, presently comprising his colleagues — Solicitor General (SG) Gopal Subramanium and additional Solicitor General Harin Rawal.

Asked about the unhappiness within the government from his ministry on the issue, an angry law minister M Veerappa Moily slammed the media for having created a hype. “There is no goof-up from our side, it is from your side,” he said
.....

nkumar · Post by **nkumar** » 19 Nov 2010 07:53

Rahul Mehta wrote:
RamaY wrote:^ Rahul Mehta scores again
...... Arun Shourie pulled similar scams when he was Disinvestment Minister......

.

RM, I like your ideas, but you are not making your case any stronger by these wild allegations. Kindly substantiate the above statement with some proof. What scams you are talking about that were pulled by Shourie??

Rahul Mehta · Post by **Rahul Mehta** » 19 Nov 2010 08:04

ShyamSP wrote:Ofcourse, all this makes Maharastra ex-CM dunce politician who got screwed for corruption in paisas.

The lobby of Old Guard (read : upper caste) IAS, Ministers, industrialists wants benefits of bribery and proceeds to remain with Old Gaurd only. The lobby of Old Guard IAS, Ministers, industrialists etc wants to hit (dalit) Raja lethally. But if they hit Raja only, then Raja can show that they are anti-dalit. So first Chavan and Kalmadi were give token punishments. All in all, Chavan-Kalamdi show was just to create a perception that "we are not just after (dalit) Raja, we are after all corrupt Ministers". Just as corrupt Honorable Justice Sen is impeached so that when corrupt Honorable Justice Dinakaran is impeached, no one can say that "we are after corrupt dalit judges only".

csharma · Post by **csharma** » 19 Nov 2010 08:09

That Vir Sanghvi tape is disgusting. This guy has lost his credibility. He is talking about doing scripted interviews with Mukesh Ambani and is essentially asking directions from a fixer on what kind of slant he should be putting.

Media seems heavily compromised. More and more reason to believe CTs.

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 19 Nov 2010 08:17

Rahul Mehta wrote:
ShyamSP wrote:Ofcourse, all this makes Maharastra ex-CM dunce politician who got screwed for corruption in paisas.
The lobby of Old Guard (read : upper caste) IAS, Ministers, industrialists wants benefits of bribery and proceeds to remain with Old Gaurd only. The lobby of Old Guard IAS, Ministers, industrialists etc wants to hit (dalit) Raja lethally. But if they hit Raja only, then Raja can show that they are anti-dalit. So first Chavan and Kalmadi were give token punishments. All in all, Chavan-Kalamdi show was just to create a perception that "we are not just after (dalit) Raja, we are after all corrupt Ministers". Just as corrupt Honorable Justice Sen is impeached so that when corrupt Honorable Justice Dinakaran is impeached, no one can say that "we are after corrupt dalit judges only".

Hi Rahul Mehta - I remember you from a previous life.

This is called the revenge of the upper castes. When you start handing out advantages to a disadvantaged section citing discrimination - nobody wants to appear to be using the same old discrimination. You have to use a new excuse.

The Raja story is only a 160,000 crore version of a peanuts (few crore) scam that occurred in Bangalore. There is an old gora Christian school of great repute where all the upper castes got educated and did well. Gradually the management was replaced. Over the years goras went and Dalit Christians became management. Middle castes with business money started paying management large sums of money to get their children into this "prestigious school". School went from 30 per class to 80 per class and from section A and B to section ABCDEFGH etc. Finally the principal who was taking orders from every bribe accepting school manager got a conscience and quit. The money involved is oo small to get national attention. The castes and the attitudes are the same.

Why worry? This is the Indian way onleee.

nkumar · Post by **nkumar** » 19 Nov 2010 08:18

One tweet from
http://twitter.com/pawandurani

Barkha badnaam hui , CON gress tere liye #Barkhagate

Atri · Post by **Atri** » 19 Nov 2010 08:27

RamaY wrote:I have a pooch!

If CBI got these telephone taps, that means GOI knows them (MMS, NSA, PC??). Then why releasing them now???

Does it mean INC is kicking DMK out of the tent? (Pommanaleka poga pettinattu = smoke them out if you cant say it straight???). This is what comes to my mind.

INC is sending a message to other groups -
- Alliance partners >> We can kick you, whenever we want
- Businessmen >> Dont make unnecessary statements on corruption (just pay the dues). Coincidentally Ratan Tata made anti-corruption statements just last week
- Media & PR >> You be a tool in our hands and we give you padmas. If you think too much about yourself, you will go to the dog house.

What is the message to opposition??? Don't use telephones as we both are in the same situation???

May be PM mannu singh is pissed off and is deliberately keeping quite in parliament and pulled off the coup... one stone many birds, may be. Although they will deny, the reach of the power-brokers has been exposed. Ghulam nabi Azad, Ahmad Patel have been shown as "probably compromised". MMS will speak up in few days when some inside deal is struck with PMO or 10-Janpath by those who are in trouble today.. Just may be..

amdavadi · Post by **amdavadi** » 19 Nov 2010 08:34

Anyone who grew up in gujarat knows dealing of ahmed patel,madhavsingh solanki & chimanbhai patel....

Ahmed patel is crook of all crooks.

nkumar · Post by **nkumar** » 19 Nov 2010 08:41

There are tons of tapes here, but not related with 2G exactly.

http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?268069

While the Spectrum scam tapes have been talked about, what has not received adequate notice so far is the lobbying and controversy surrounding the division of gas between the Ambani brothers. The conversations in this set include journalists Vir Sanghvi of the Hindustan Times; Prabhu Chawla of the India Today group; and G. Ganapathy Subramaniam and M.K. Venu of the Economic Times.

While we are yet to absorb and understand the various intricacies and ramifications of the very many conversations on record, it is eerie how casually a discussion, for example, about the battle for power sector involving Tatas and Reliance in Maharashtra segues into instigating the likes of Shiv Sena and other groups like the MNS and how easily corporates play and manoeuvre the "protests" by goon-gangs of political outfits to further their ends.

Also, how easy it seems for these power-brokers to casually fix politicians -- e.g. Venkaiah Naidu of the BJP here is mentioned as amenable to persuasion, as against Arun Shourie, for example.

Some of the abbreviations:

MM is Manoj Modi
Ganu is G. Ganapathy Subramaniam of the ET

The file-names below are as in the CD handed over to the Supreme Court.

Sriman · Post by **Sriman** » 19 Nov 2010 08:49

csharma wrote:That Vir Sanghvi tape is disgusting. This guy has lost his credibility. He is talking about doing scripted interviews with Mukesh Ambani and is essentially asking directions from a fixer on what kind of slant he should be putting.

Media seems heavily compromised. More and more reason to believe CTs.

Here's one 'Counterpoint' blog that Vir Sanghvi has written on the Ambanis. He even refers to Niira in the article. But there's no Mukesh slant though. If someone manages to find an article thats closer to what was discussed on the call, please post here.

http://blogs.hindustantimes.com/counter ... elsewhere/

Sanku · Post by **Sanku** » 19 Nov 2010 10:29

This has P Chidambaram written all over it. PC is taking Maino-Manmohan team to the cleaners.

They must be ruing the day they let him in the home ministry.