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

Sanku · Post by **Sanku** » 12 Apr 2011 20:16

ramana wrote:The real deal is they are afraid of RMji. He is the torch bearer of the right to recall.

RM-ji has been in touch with some/many of these people. My alter ego has some info on that, but cant talk about it.

Klaus · Post by **Klaus** » 12 Apr 2011 20:23

^^^ Dont know if people here have noticed, Rahul Mehta's website turns up as the 1st result on google search! Try it!

So the fear and the dhoti shivering on the part of the suspects is for REAL!

I say, bring RM back here!

Virupaksha · Post by **Virupaksha** » 12 Apr 2011 20:25

Klaus wrote:^^^ Dont know if people here have noticed, Rahul Mehta's website turns up as the 1st result on google search! Try it!

So the fear and the dhoti shivering on the part of the suspects is for REAL!

I say, bring RM back here!

so round 2 of bringing RM back starts

suryag · Post by **suryag** » 12 Apr 2011 20:28

Paging Mupalla and Ramay garus, Who are the two politicians from Andhra that HAK has named in the video above? One held a constitutional post which most likely means governor and the other was a central minister.

RamaY · Post by **RamaY** » 12 Apr 2011 20:45

Pranav wrote:x-post from Hazare thread in GDF:

Lokpal Bill: Cong dubs Anna's videography demand as idiotic - http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/story ... 34999.html

Not surprising. Aam Janata are idiots as far as elitemen are concerned.

I am curious to see if AH turns out to be a Srikrishna in Kaurava Sabha or Gandhiji post "Hind Swaraj".

AH, by demanding telecasting the committee discussions put INC in spot. If they do not agree, they will be questioned on their intentions. If they agree to that demand, they will expose their negotiation tactics (whatever that may be). Bharat will see what the India-1 is all about.

I predict that AH will be Gandhized (the way British sidelined him at the end of freedom movement); and AH may not have any issue with that (After all he is a Gandhivadi).

AH's conviction will also be tested by his response to [sic] secular-brigade on his comments about Modi. Will he prove to be the 2nd Gandhi by supporting the Bharatiya-Khilafat movement?

Oh dear LKA; many pranams to you for kick-starting the modern MB war with your Ratha Yatra (leading to death of Ayodhya Jarasamdha).

Sushupti · Post by **Sushupti** » 12 Apr 2011 20:49

Oh dear LKA; many pranams to you for kick-starting the modern MB war with your Ratha Yatra (leading to death of Ayodhya Jarasamdha).

Could you elaborate on the part in bold?.

Klaus · Post by **Klaus** » 12 Apr 2011 20:53

^^^ You need to read his (RamaY's) earlier post on the 3 India's to understand where he is coming from. LKA by carrying out the Rath Yatra, effectively brought India-3 to the real issues at hand, something like a detour which brings the lost traveler back to familiar bearings.

The slaying of Jarasandha was a removal of a distraction so as to focus on the real issues at hand, a metaphorical example for today's events.

Added later: Link to post.

Yayavar · Post by **Yayavar** » 12 Apr 2011 20:58

^^can you please quote it or link it?

RamaY · Post by **RamaY** » 12 Apr 2011 21:08

Klaus wrote:The slaying of Jarasandha was a removal of a distraction so as to focus on the real issues at hand, a metaphorical example for today's events.
Added later: Link to post.

Not only that Klaus-ji!

Jarasandha was the emperor of Bharat at that time. Without killing him, Sri Krishna cannot encourage Pandavas to perform Rajasuya (declaring that the he is the emperor by subjugating rest of Bharatiya kings, monarchs and tribes). Without Rajasuya, Pandavas cannot establish Dharmic Bharat.

ShyamSP · Post by **ShyamSP** » 12 Apr 2011 21:10

suryag wrote:Paging Mupalla and Ramay garus, Who are the two politicians from Andhra that HAK has named in the video above? One held a constitutional post which most likely means governor and the other was a central minister.

Pranav wrote:Explosive confessions of Hasan Ali - http://www.timesnow.tv/Explosive-confes ... 370147.cms

One person seems to be YSR (who brought money for 2009 elections and who is no more). Another one may be KCR of TRS (who is ex cabiner minister but not any more but still active in politics).

suryag · Post by **suryag** » 12 Apr 2011 21:35

Someone is trying to prevent suicide/heart-attack/accident of/to/of this guy
Confessions of A Raja's former secretary

Muppalla · Post by **Muppalla** » 12 Apr 2011 22:07

ShyamSP wrote:
suryag wrote:Paging Mupalla and Ramay garus, Who are the two politicians from Andhra that HAK has named in the video above? One held a constitutional post which most likely means governor and the other was a central minister.

Pranav wrote:Explosive confessions of Hasan Ali - http://www.timesnow.tv/Explosive-confes ... 370147.cms

One person seems to be YSR (who brought money for 2009 elections and who is no more). Another one may be KCR of TRS (who is ex cabiner minister but not any more but still active in politics).

Nope - per the Andhra grapevine the two are CBN and Chiru.

Added later - per Hasan Ali, one is ex-CM and the other is big Film star. The rumor site GreatAndhra names CBM and Chiru. It is speculation anyway. The rumor is that Chiru's son used horses from Hasan Ali in the movie Magadheera.

ShyamSP · Post by **ShyamSP** » 12 Apr 2011 22:17

Muppalla wrote:
ShyamSP wrote:
One person seems to be YSR (who brought money for 2009 elections and who is no more). Another one may be KCR of TRS (who is ex cabiner minister but not any more but still active in politics).

Nope - per the Andhra grapevine the two are CBN and Chiru.

Added later - per Hasan Ali, one is ex-CM and the other is big Film star. The rumor site GreatAndhra names CBM and Chiru. It is speculation anyway. The rumor is that Chiru's son used horses from Hasan Ali in the movie Magadheera.

Muppalla those two were from last time when he gave clues in the first confession. This video is new one and brought clues for two more names.

This is useless drama. They release some clues and play people and good fodder for media to engage in discussions with all rumors based on clues. Local Media even shrugged now unlike last time.

Muppalla · Post by **Muppalla** » 12 Apr 2011 22:28

ShyamSP wrote: Muppalla those two were from last time when he gave clues in the first confession. This video is new one and brought clues for two more names.

This is useless drama. They release some clues and play people and good fodder for media to engage in discussions with all rumors based on clues. Local Media even shrugged now unlike last time.

That tells you the trend. In a true banana republic style when the corruption is everywhere, the targets are always opponents or dissidents. Started with Yeddi moved on to Reddy bros and later using Hasan Ali target CBN, keep Chiru checkmated. Now Cuddapah bye-election time so use Hasan Ali to bring YSR and his family as targets.

In the worst case scenario target the coalition partners starting with A.Raja, DMK. If it is inevitable then target finally Sharad Pawar. Meanwhile shield the Shiela ki jawani, Vadras+DLF, Kalmadi etc.

There is lot of time too before 2014. Bring up Lok Pal to screw everyone except the congmen and go to polls on an anti-graft plank.

Predicted show so far.

ShyamSP · Post by **ShyamSP** » 12 Apr 2011 23:42

Muppalla wrote:
ShyamSP wrote: Muppalla those two were from last time when he gave clues in the first confession. This video is new one and brought clues for two more names.

This is useless drama. They release some clues and play people and good fodder for media to engage in discussions with all rumors based on clues. Local Media even shrugged now unlike last time.
That tells you the trend. In a true banana republic style when the corruption is everywhere, the targets are always opponents or dissidents. Started with Yeddi moved on to Reddy bros and later using Hasan Ali target CBN, keep Chiru checkmated. Now Cuddapah bye-election time so use Hasan Ali to bring YSR and his family as targets.

In the worst case scenario target the coalition partners starting with A.Raja, DMK. If it is inevitable then target finally Sharad Pawar. Meanwhile shield the Shiela ki jawani, Vadras+DLF, Kalmadi etc.

There is lot of time too before 2014. Bring up Lok Pal to screw everyone except the congmen and go to polls on an anti-graft plank.

Predicted show so far.

Without bringing confidence of Opposition and other parties into Lokpal drafting, it will be a Congress Bill with Hazare and others falling into Congress. It mostly likely go to dustbin without other parties and normal and non-"Civil" society involved.

AH and "Civil" society: We don't like those points in the bill
Congress and lackeys: Communal agents
AH and "Civil" society: We agree to them. Go ahead.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 13 Apr 2011 02:07

Newsinsight's NSV writes:

Anna All the way!

Anna all the way
The UPA will perish if it confronts the new Mahatma, says N.V.Subramanian.

8 April 2011: Attempts to undermine Anna Hazare's anti-corruption movement, in which a section of the media unfortunately has participated, will fail. There are those in government who believe IPL will distract youngsters from the Anna movement. They will be proved as wrong as they flunked in their attempt to buoy up a sinking Manmohan Singh by nesting an Indo-Pak summit in the cricket World Cup semifinal in Mohali.

The point is that neither the ruling regime nor the principal opposition party, the BJP, quite recognizes the fundamental manner in which Anna has changed the anti-corruption debate. In all fairness, the BJP and CPI-M have been spearheading anti-corruption and anti-price-rise campaigns against the insensitive UPA government.

But at least the BJP's anti-corruption drive has been hindered by differences in the top party leadership (with Arun Jaitley pressing for an all-out attack and Sushma Swaraj preferring to pull her punches for some reason) and by the spectacle of B.S.Yedurappa clinging to office despite growing charges of wrongdoing. The CPI-M leadership, to its credit, is not compromised.

The brilliance about the Anna Hazare campaign, on the other hand, is that he brings no baggage. If anything, a cursory inspection of his past inspires nothing but respect.

In war (and Anna fought in 1965) to be the sole survivor of a unit (as he was) may leave lifelong scars. Out of those scars came his single-minded dedication to the nation and his fierce impersonal resolve.

It requires extraordinary will and capacity of self-sacrifice to go on a fast unto death for a national cause, and those are the only reasons why his anti-corruption campaign has spread like wildfire throughout India and engulfed the internet.

It is laughable to think that a mere IPL will destroy his campaign.

Associating with his campaign brings no costs comparable to, say, joining a BJP or CPI-M agitation against corruption. Which is why everyone is lining up to be on Anna's side, from Adi Godrej to Amitabh Bachchan to lesser stars. And ordinary folks are joining him in thousands every day. This writer went to pay his respects yesterday, and it was a most uplifting experience in Jantar Mantar.

The most fundamental way in which Anna Hazare's anti-corruption crusade is different is that it has unnerved the political class as a whole, with the rudest comments against him coming from the Congress party (entirely expected), the Samajwadi Party, and the government's cheerleaders in the press.

Anna's vision of a Jan Lok Pal threatens the "elected supremacy" that any ruling dispensation has come to enjoy for the five years of its term, with no constitutionally-provided recall vote. The club of the so-called "elected" is a very select club. You and I cannot join it because we do not have money- or muscle-power and, importantly, do not belong to a political dynasty.

And who is the so-called elected MP or MLA? The one who wins a minority of votes in a first-past-the-post system, which itself he has previously subverted to the utmost of his capacity.

Some "elected representatives" like M.K.Alagiri are notorious subverters. The Wikileaks say (and this was reported previously) that his men packed cash into morning newspapers which the recipients were in no position to refuse/ return and therefore voted for him or his party candidate out of a bad conscience. This same Alagiri is on the UPA government's GoM to draft a new Lok Pal bill.

Can anything be more scandalous?

On behalf of these alleged "elected representatives", Anna Hazare is being attacked. Newspaper articles are appearing that he is out to subvert democracy. What democracy, pray?

Despite Supreme Court observations, the government won't debar criminals from participating in elections. The independence of the Election Commission is compromised with the appointment of ruling-party favourites as ECs, one of who outrageously became (and remains) Central minister upon retirement.

In appointments to the Supreme Court, the government tries to extract its pound of flesh. Justice H.L.Gokhale was superseded seven times between 2007 and 2010 before being elevated to the Supreme Court. Why? The emasculation of the CBI/ Enforcement Directorate continues apace. And nothing surpasses the shocking appointment of P.J.Thomas as CVC.

When the ruling UPA single-mindedly destroys democratic institutions, and makes corruption systemic (2G, Antrix-Devas, Adarsh, Swiss black money, IPL, Hasan Ali, CVC, Ottavio Quattrocchi...), what democracy remains for Anna Hazare to imperil?

Clearly, the time is past for the overlordship of the corrupt ruling classes. Anna Hazare has unleashed forces that will be difficult to contain if the UPA does not concede his demands. It is completely possible to accept his demands without creating a constitutional crisis (as some are crying wolf), provided there is will and good intentions.

The only way forward is to go with Anna Hazare.

The UPA government will collapse if it adopts a course to counter/ confront him.

All of India is with Anna Hazare.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 13 Apr 2011 03:02

Our R Vaidya writes:

The main issue is Indian Black Money in Swiss banks

It is heartening to note the overwhelming response to the fast undertaken by Anna Hazare at Delhi on the issue of corruption and the Jan Lokpal bill. There is a groundswell of public opinion in his favour since ordinary citizens face the problem of corruption on a day-to-day basis.

It is womb to tomb (birth certificate to death certificate) operating procedure for every Indian. But in the midst of this euphoria, we should not lose sight of the Gangotri of corruption, namely, the black money kept by Indians in Swiss banks and in over 70 such havens.

Domestic black money is a vote of no-confidence in our government whereas black money kept in Swiss banks is a vote of no confidence in the Indian society and country and tantamount to treason. The quantum of illegal funds parked abroad across the world by Indians is estimated at least half a trillion dollar. And of the (Swiss franc) CHF2.8 trillion in Swiss banks, about CHF1 trillion is black money, according to Konrad Hummler, chairman of the Swiss private bankers association (see Swiss Review, August 2009).

In August 2009, CHF1 was nearly the same as US $1. This means there is about $1 trillion of black money in Swiss banks. My studied estimate is of this black money, India’s share could be at least $200 billion, or nearly Rs10 lakh crore, which amounted to 15% of India’s GDP in the last financial year.

That is the reason why Swiss media persons visited Jantar Mantar; to find out how much of this anti-corruption movement will shake their empire. There is a sudden spurt in visits by Swiss ministers and delegations to India, all of whom give interviews, the “openness” of the Swiss system and their willingness to share information provided the Indian government gives them concrete evidence.

Switzerland should be ranked as the no 1 country in corruption in the Transparency International index, but criminality is never associated with white people.

This should be Anna Hazare’s main demand: bring back the illegal wealth of India.

Curiously, Hazare’s fast and associated events are partly supported by members of the National Advisory Council (NAC) that jholawala cabinet without accountability. In other words, the NAC is running with the hares and hunting with the hounds, making the PM as the culprit while as NAC is projected as the “people’s cabinet”.

But this game cannot continue since illegal wealth abroad is an issue that will come into focus sooner or later. That, in turn, will shake the edifice of the carefully and craftily formulated agenda of NAC, because it believes that all the cases on 2G/Hasan Ali will be hidden under the Jan Lokpal Bill.

The bill is important but more important is the implementation of any bill. We have enough powers as of now with the government to bring the culprits to book and give exemplary punishment. But the ruling class is unwilling since politicians, bureaucrats, business magnets, sports people, Bollywood stars — everyone is a part of the system perfected over decades to siphon funds from India to tax havens.

Let us definitely have the modified Lokpal bill but let us not forget the main issue, namely, money in Swiss banks. It is the wealth of mother India and should be brought back. Anna Hazare should demand a parliamentary act declaring all illegal wealth of India kept in foreign banks as belongs to the Government of India. Once this is done, other countries cannot refuse information to us.

From February 1, 2011, Switzerland enacted a law for the restitution of illicit assets of politically exposed persons. This act enabled Switzerland to freeze the assets of Gaddafi and his family. This act will be enforced the moment India passes a law nationalising all assets held by Indians abroad. Second, let the government file a general purpose FIR on the illegal wealth — as was done in the case of Punjab terrorists — and as and when the Hasan Alis crop up, then take it up under the general FIR with other countries.

Let us not forget Swiss loot in the midst of all these NAC-created drama in which a genuine person like Anna has been caught. One only hopes that he does not become part of a famous category enunciated by Lenin as “useful idiots”.

The author is professor of finance, Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore. The views expressed are personal

Sushupti · Post by **Sushupti** » 13 Apr 2011 20:18

Sushupti · Post by **Sushupti** » 13 Apr 2011 20:23

After Gandhi is dead, we have socialism

http://acorn.nationalinterest.in/2011/0 ... socialism/

Sushupti · Post by **Sushupti** » 13 Apr 2011 23:39

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/dmk-ngo-brib ... 37-64.html

NGOS offer money for votes in Tamil Nadu. Looks like CNN-IBN was marinating the Kanimozhi 2G scam link much like they were marinating the cash4votes tapes.

Muppalla · Post by **Muppalla** » 14 Apr 2011 00:49

Is Chidu manipulting or MMS took Chidu for a ride?

The chargesheet of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on the 2G scam arouses curiosity. While it squarely names former Telecom Minister A Raja as the mastermind, and three companies and eight individuals as co-conspirators, it has been conspicuously silent on a key and unexplained set of developments within the Union Cabinet. Developments that saw the then Finance Minister P Chidambaram change his mind and concur with his DMK colleague that auctions need not be held to determine prices for 2G spectrum in 2008.

On 15 January 2008, Chidambaram had written a strong note to the Prime Minister advising auctions and informing him in detail of the issues at stake. His subsequent change of stance is what has allowed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to mount his own defence on the ground that he was only okaying a formula agreed upon by his Cabinet ministers. Surprisingly, Chidambaram’s initial letter is not even mentioned in an otherwise comprehensive CBI chargesheet.

This CBI omission assumes significance since it was this concurrence between the finance and telecom ministers that was cited by the PM at the beginning of the Budget session of Parliament this year to assert that he had valid reason for not intervening in Raja’s allocation of 2G spectrum in 2008 at 2001 prices—the formula the CBI holds responsible for causing a huge revenue loss to the exchequer. “The Government’s policy on the pricing of spectrum was made on the basis of a Cabinet decision of 2003, which specifically left this issue to be determined by the Ministry of Finance and of Telecommunications,” the PM told the Rajya Sabha on 24 February this year, “…the record clearly shows that the then Finance Minister, while he initially had a different view, which he communicated to me on 15 January, subsequently consulted the Minister, Telecommunications, and the two ministers worked out an agreed formula on spectrum charges, which was reported to me in a meeting on 4 July 2008.”

Not only is the CBI chargesheet mum on Chidambaram’s 15 January note to the PM, it also overlooks the ‘agreed formula’ conveyed to Dr Singh on 4 July 2008. The two are crucial, as they explain not just the ‘different view’ of the Finance Mini-stry, but also the latter’s change in thinking that apparently allowed the PM to rest assured on his government’s allocation policy, clearing the way for Raja to spin out the country’s biggest ever scam.

So, what was the ‘different view’ that Chidambaram communicated to the PM merely five days after the dubious Letters of Intent (LOIs) were issued to spectrum applicants and much before the actual allocations?

In the above mentioned note (a copy of which is with Open), the Finance Ministry spoke emphatically against giving away 2G spectrum on a first-come-first-served basis. Says the note: ‘Spectrum is a scarce resource. The price for spectrum should be based on its scarcity value and efficiency of usage. The most transparent method of allocating spectrum would be through an auction. [This] method… will face the least legal challenges. If the Government is able to provide sufficient information on availability of spectrum, that would minimise the risks and consequently fetch better prices at the auction. The design of the auction should include a reserve price.’ This is the only part of the note that has been typed in bold letters, implying special emphasis. The three-page note of 15 January also suggests a way to carry out the auction: ‘The auction could be for a ‘one-time payment’ for additional spectrum or ‘an annual rent’ for additional spectrum. Once the price is discovered, additional spectrum should be allocated to all bidders at that price.’

Besides, the Finance Ministry was also categorical about the necessity of making it mandatory for a licensee to share the premium with the Government if spectrum is sold to a third party: ‘In addition, if a licensee sells his licence (including the spectrum) to another person, it could be stipulated that the licensee should share with the Government a part of the premium/profit gained by him through the sale.’

This is crucial in light of the CBI chargesheet’s observation of how Swan Telecom and Unitech Wireless—the two firms charged as scamsters—cheated the Centre by first obtaining unified access licences at throwaway prices, and then offloading part of their firms’ equity at huge premia. ‘Although the FDI limit was increased from 49 to 74% in December, 2005, there was no lock-in period or restriction imposed on sale of equity or issuance of additional equity. As a result of this, M/s Swan Telecom Pvt Ltd, which paid DoT [Department of Telecomm-unication] Rs 1,537 crore for UAS licences of 13 circles, offloaded its 45% equity to M/s Etisalat of UAE for Rs 4,200 crore,” the chargesheet notes. ‘Similarly, M/s Unitech Wireless, which paid DoT Rs 1,658 crore for UAS licenses of all 22 circles, offloaded its 60% equity to M/s Telenor of Norway for Rs 6,100 crore. These stakes were sold by the said companies even before the roll out of services by them.’

It remains a matter of debate whether the PM, after having been alerted thus, could have stepped in to stop the scam. And if five days after the LoIs were issued was just too late, the question that arises is why Chidambaram wrote this note after and not before the issuance, especially since the Cabinet decision of 2003 had specifically left spectrum pricing policy to the finance and telecom ministries.

The third question is this: why did Chidambaram change his position on spectrum pricing five months after his note? Admittedly, spectrum auctions have been dogged by the ‘winner’s curse’ of unviable bids in almost every telecom market worldwide (even India had to move to a revenue-sharing formula), but this was not new knowledge, nor was this the stated reasoning. The big question is of timing. Why and how did viewpoints converge against auctions in July to Raja’s advantage?

In his Rajya Sabha speech on 24 February, the PM sought to answer the last set of questions: “…this decision (of concurrence) that was put to me (on 4 July 2008) by the two ministers was in line with recommendations of the TRAI [Telecom Regulatory Authority of India] in its report of August 2007. In that report, TRAI had clearly stated that only 3G spectrum should be auctioned, and the policy for 2G spectrum should continue on the same basis as hitherto. This recommendation… was based on the need to ensure a level playing field between new entrants and incumbents. The two ministries had agreed on this, because of legacy considerations, and I accepted their recommendation.”

This explanation of Dr Singh, however, has been debunked by the CBI’s chargesheet, which lays out how Raja and his co-conspirators manipulated all rules as well as TRAI recommendations to ensure ‘better prospects for his favoured companies’. TRAI did not suggest that spectrum be sold in 2008 at 2001 prices, and it is hard to believe that the Government was unaware of this fact.

This shifts the focus once again to the CBI, which has been criticised in the past for playing to the gallery and operating at the behest of its political masters. Skipping these important questions in its voluminous chargesheet is not all that lends credence to such criticism. The manner in which its chargesheet has gone out of its way to treat Raja’s as an isolated case while insulating almost all other ministries from criminal charges, particularly giving the PM a clean chit, remains as mysterious as the 2G scam itself.

In the PM’s case, the chargesheet labours to establish how Raja misled him on 2G spectrum allocation. Describing the three letters exchanged between Raja and Dr Singh on 2 November 2007, the CBI says, ‘In furtherance of the conspiracy, accused A Raja, later on the same day, i.e. 2 November 2007 itself, wrote a letter to the PM misrepresenting the facts and fraudulently justifying his decision regarding the cutoff date of 25 September 2007 on the ground that on this date, an announcement of the cutoff date appeared in newspapers. He also misled the PM and incorrectly stated the opinion of the Ministry of Law and Justice [referring] the matter to the eGoM [Empowered Group of Ministers] to be out of context.’ The chargesheet then goes on to state how Raja was already in a criminal conspiracy with Sanjay Chandra of Unitech, and with Shahid Balwa and Vinod Goenka of Swan Telecom, before the cutoff date’s publication in newspapers.

The CBI also refers to the PM’s letter to Raja the same day saying that ‘since spectrum is very limited even in the next several years, all the licences may never be able to get spectrum’, to show that Dr Singh had cautioned Raja but the minister just brushed aside his advice. Interestingly, the CBI concludes that ‘adherence to these directions would have foiled (Raja’s) designs to unduly favour applicant companies he was in a conspiracy with’. One cannot miss the implications of this CBI comment, since the Government’s PR machinery has claimed that the PM had merely forwarded suggestions received by several companies and stakeholders to Raja. The CBI clearly does not think so, insisting that the PM’s missives were ‘directions’. Implicit in this finding is the CBI’s belief that had the PM’s directions been enforced, the 2G scam could have been prevented.

The CBI highlights that Raja wrote the second letter the same day, in collaboration with his private secretary RK Chandolia, without either referring it to the DoT or dealing with it in the official files, yet assuring the PM ‘...there was and is no single deviation or departure in the rules and procedures’.

What is surprising in all this is that the PM blindly believed whatever Raja informed him through his two letters the same day, and did not sense anything amiss even after the Finance Ministry sent its note of 15 January 2008. And five months later, he promptly blessed the ‘agreed formula’ the moment the Finance Minister made his U-turn on spectrum allocation policy.

If the PM had acted on Chidambaram’s note before the actual allocations, given its criticality in the context of Raja’s determination to bend all norms for his favoured companies, the country may have been spared the trauma of this scam. Perhaps the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) will look into this.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 14 Apr 2011 03:18

Radia cliams Pawar controls DB realty

Wonderful! Now Pawar gets revealed..

RamaY · Post by **RamaY** » 14 Apr 2011 05:33

^
Die-nasty is raising stakes hoping the scam is removed from public memory. Good going.

Chinmayanand · Post by **Chinmayanand** » 14 Apr 2011 11:13

Sharad Pawar controlls DB Realty: Niira Radia to CBI

Corporate lobbyist Nira Radia has told the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) that Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar may be controlling the controversial DB Realty, media reports said on Thursday. According to the reports, she also told the investigative agency that he may have spoken with with former telecom minister A Raja about the allocation of spectrum and licence to Swan Telecom.

"That as per the general perception in Mumbai as well as outside, DB Realties directly or indirectly is controlled by Sharad Pawar and his family members. Shahid Balwa and Vinod Goenka are key persons in DB Realty. In that background, I had quoted the name of Sharad Pawar who might have pursued the matter with Raja, then telecom minister, for showing favour to Swan as well as to Anil Ambani's Reliance Communications in issuing of UAS unified access service licence and dual technology," Radia has been quoted as saying when asked how she knew about Pawar's lobbying for Swan.

Pawar has denied any link with former DB managing director Shahid Balwa who is now in CBI custody.

Radia and industrialist Ratan Tata were on April 4 questioned by Parliament's Public Accounts (PAC) Committee on her tapped conversations with politicians, corporates, bureaucrats and journalists in connection with alleged irregularities in the 2G spectrum allocation.

Swan Telecom is one of the companies that allegedly benefited from 2G allocation. It was part of Mumbai-based DB Realty, which has since then become Etisalat DB.

Pranav · Post by **Pranav** » 15 Apr 2011 07:21

Right-to-Recall activist spurred by Anna’s win

IT professional Rahul Mehta says that a draft bill has been sent to Anna Hazare who is convinced that it will be a significant piece of legislation

YOGESH AVASTHI

The success of Anna Hazare-led anti-corruption movement has given fresh hope to an Ahmedabad-based IT professional who has been campaigning for “right to recall” (RTR) for more than a decade. While discussions and debates over RTR are being held nationally, 41-year-old software engineer Rahul Mehta, who has contested three elections — parliamentary, byelection to the state assembly and to Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation — with the sole intention of creating awareness of the issue, told Mirror on Sunday that RTR volunteers are in touch with Hazare’s anti-corruption movement workers through mails and telephones. “Anna Hazare just spoke one line and more than five crore people reacted to him overnight. A similar campaign is needed to get RTR legislation in place.”

“The draft of RTR bill has already been sent to Anna Hazare and he is convinced that it is a significant piece of legislation that can empower the people against corrupt representatives and public servants.”

There are about 300 volunteers creating awareness about RTR across the country. Mehta claims that he has created awareness among seven to eight lakh people in Ahmedabad through his campaign and it took him 12 years to do this. Mehta began his campaign in 1998 when he returned from the US where citizens have a right to recall. “I saw rampant corruption, laxity in work and other problems that were impeding our system. This is when I believed that RTR should be in force in our country. I studied the provisions of RTR in other countries,” Mehta said.

“Most candidates campaign to win elections. I contest and campaign for the introduction of the right to recall legislation,” Mehta said. He believes that an elected representative or public servant should be recalled if 51 per cent of the electorate vote against the person at any stage. Mehta firmly believes that the country will collapse if RTR is not implemented forthwith.

“In fact, the first place where RTR needs to be implemented is for the position of Lokpal. If the Lokpal is vested with all powers, it will be another centre for power and can bring in dictatorship. The people need to have a say in the kind of person that they want in such a position.”

WHAT IS RIGHT TO RECALL

THE RIGHT to recall means procedures by which citizens can expel/replace prime minister, chief minister, judges, police chief, etc. In 1946, M N Roy in his book ‘Draft Constitution of India’ had put utmost emphasis on the right to recall. Roy had said that that election alone without recall is of no use. Between 1960-77, Jayprakash Narayan demanded RTR many times. The 1977 Janata Party manifesto by which Lal Krishna Advani and Atal Behari Vajpayee became minister for the first time had promised to implement the RTR.

According to this, if a citizen registers affidavit at collector’s office, the collector shall put it on websites of PM, CM for a fee. Any citizen can register yes-no on any affidavit by paying Rs 3 fee at the talati’s office. The citizen’s option will also appear on the PM’s website with his voter-ID.

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/ ... =HTML&GZ=T

Comments by Rahul Mehta:

Lokpal bill without Right to Recall Lokpal is open invitation to slavery. MNCs will be able to bribe out 10-12 people in selection committees and will ensure that their agent with saintly face like IMF-agent MMS becomes Lokpal. And then using him, MNCs will enslave India and destroy Agriculture, Military and Maths/Science education and will thus make India a slave of MNCs. Right to Recall is a medicine par-excellence. Give me potful of poison, and add two drops of RTR, and poison will vanish. Right to Recall is so powerful that even if Jinha manages to become PM of India by fraud or deceit, RTR-PM will ensure that he band Go-hatya in 2 days or else he will be expelled on 3rd day and next PM will ban go-hatya. Right to Recall Education Minister will ensure that even if MNC head were to become Finance Minister, he will impose taxes on SEZs. RTR is THE power in the hands of citizens and that why ALL politicians and their pet intellectuals (ku-budheejeevies) hate RTR.

So now please let us ensure that Annaji keeps promise he made that he will put RTR-Lokpal-clauses in Lokpal. He says that Lokpal selection procedure will ensure that Lokpal will be honest. This is nonsense --- God didnt write "this man will remain honest even after becoming powerful" on anyone's forehead. Nor did God write "this man is not agent of MNCs" on anyone's forehead. Anna has promised Right to Recall Lokpal on TV in front of crores of citizens and activists. If we activists and citizens forget the promise, we cant later blame leader of forgetting promise. We must keep pressure on ALL remaining 5 corrupt committee members (the corrupt Ministers) to ensure that none of these corrupt Ministers dare to oppose RTR-Lokpal-clauses. If we activists dont maintain pressure, we shouldnt expect leader to hold the fort. A General alone cant fight if soldiers go to sleep. The pressure on Anna so that Anna can use our pressure as justification to put RTR-Lokpal-clauses in Lokpal draft.

Muppalla · Post by **Muppalla** » 15 Apr 2011 07:32

Lokpal bill without Right to Recall Lokpal is open invitation to slavery. MNCs will be able to bribe out 10-12 people in selection committees and will ensure that their agent with saintly face like IMF-agent MMS becomes Lokpal. And then using him, MNCs will enslave India and destroy Agriculture, Military and Maths/Science education and will thus make India a slave of MNCs. Right to Recall is a medicine par-excellence.

alternative argument

RTR can be exploited by MNCs. They can bribe x number of citizens and create a required mechanism to trigger RTR of politicians that are not following their dictums. In India hardly any politician wins with 50% polled votes so removing him could be a cakewalk. This is a diaster in making with no stability. In the end all the politicians will be enslaved to MNCs or some similar vested interests due to fear of RTR.

somnath · Post by **somnath** » 15 Apr 2011 07:47

Good commentary by Ashok Malik..

http://www.hindustantimes.com/It-s-not- ... 85324.aspx

The defining principle for today’s young citizen is aspiration, not adventurism, much less anarchy. There is absolutely no chance of hundreds, let alone thousands, of middle-class youth giving up college and job applications to answer a ‘jail bharo’ call for the noble but vague objective of ridding India of corruption. More than vacuous demands for revolution, today’s Indian is only crying out for structured and structural reform.

suryag · Post by **suryag** » 15 Apr 2011 08:13

Bring in intra party democracy first, the more number of people that need to be bought the lesser the corruption. As of now if you give Xcrs to state incharge he will get you ticket. If Abdul party workers vote to choose their candidates then there will be lesser corruption. Election commission should however monitor these elections.

Pranav · Post by **Pranav** » 15 Apr 2011 08:33

Rahul Mehta : Lokpal bill without Right to Recall Lokpal is open invitation to slavery. MNCs will be able to bribe out 10-12 people in selection committees and will ensure that their agent with saintly face like IMF-agent MMS becomes Lokpal. And then using him, MNCs will enslave India and destroy Agriculture, Military and Maths/Science education and will thus make India a slave of MNCs. Right to Recall is a medicine par-excellence.

Muppalla: alternative argument ---- RTR can be exploited by MNCs. They can bribe x number of citizens and create a required mechanism to trigger RTR of politicians that are not following their dictums. In India hardly any politician wins with 50% polled votes so removing him could be a cakewalk. This is a diaster in making with no stability. In the end all the politicians will be enslaved to MNCs or some similar vested interests due to fear of RTR.

RM responds:

RM's RTR procedure (see clause-3 of draft in section-6.6 at http://rahulmehta.com/301.pdf ) says "Talati = Patwari will allow citizen to change his approval anyday for Rs 3 fee". This makes the procedure immune to MNC-buyout. How? Consider RTR-PM which has threshold of 24 crore voters. Say MNCs pay Rs 100 to 24 cr voters on one day, then voters may register YES but next day using clause-3 can change YES to NO. Now MNCs cant pay Rs 100 to 24 crore voters everyday for several months.

So RTR-PM and other RTR procedures proposed by RM the rustic are immune to buy-outs because one can change his preferences anyday, any minute.

Muppalla · Post by **Muppalla** » 15 Apr 2011 09:56

Pranav, I know RM is extremely passionate person. All those things create more instability and choas.(I know he can come with another page or two to tell me that how I am wrong) The subversion and the real sell-off happens when the system and country is chaotic. Due to lack of time and interest I never used to reply to RM. Because he is capable of writing a post that will be 100000000 larger than whatever anyone writes

The money we are talking is thousands of crores and the ones who want to subvert can go to any level. EC or other government folks splash huge headlines when they catch some 10 crore from a car etc.

I do not think RTR, "I do not like any contestant" or someother intelligent things will work. Even the preferential voting system is also way too complicated for these things. I am not saying just for the heck of opposing these proposals. I did a minor survey among the poorest voters ( not really a big thingy) during my last visit. I wanted to know the psyche of the persons who are voting by taking money. I started with the kaamwali lady that comes to clean the utensils and wash clothes. I asked the modus operandi of how all this stuff happens. This particular type of voter ideology is very simple - "There is no change in my life no matter who ever comes. I do not know or have any wherewittal to understand strategic stuff or even some thing called as nation state and I do not know what is Andhra Pradesh or what is India. All I know is I have to go to house after house and clean utensils to may my bread and butter. It is a once is a while bonanza for me when elections come. I take money, food and also the clothes and vote per my "team leader's " instructions. The whole bribe the voters structure is very process oriented and systematic. The party (these days the candidates also put their share and infact the tickets are being sold) will give huge money for distribution and ensures x number of votes from a booth. The money goes to the team leaders and they distribute to individuals.

Now this category of voters are 20%. The other 80% has several demographic and ideological divisions. There are about another 20% nut cases (my personal view) who think let me not vote or vote "I don't like any candidate" as I hate all politics. So in the remaining 60% there are divisions. The system is now matured. I loot the country in lakhs of crores so that there is no competetor. I ensure 95% of the bribed 20% will go to booths and vote. I will listen to Hazare and RM types and create an option of "I don't like any candidate" so the nut case votes go waste. After that I create a host of manchurian candidates by means of coersion, divisions, emotions. The 40% will not vote anyway. In summary I was able to create a situation where the ones I bribed are enough to win the election for me.

Tell me a proposal to break the above system. (1) There should be a clean run-off election between the top two candidates. NO preferential voting BS. There should be incentive-disincentive system to force the voters to choose someone from the lot. At the time of loan application, ration card application, job interview everyone should be checked if he/she voted. (2) Or make a way to spread the loot so that everyone will be capable to bribe the voters to even out.

To me the first thing is to make everyone vote and choose a candidate and the winner should get more than 50% of votes polled will clean up the system. After that to ensure the person elected delivers stuff the RTR types etc. can be a good checks. Without reforming the basics trying to bring some Irish and Polish copies is not going help. RTR can wait for another decade but first reform the election system.

Airavat · Post by **Airavat** » 16 Apr 2011 05:08

Cong-DMK prevent PAC functioning

Noisy objections by five members — four from the Congress and one from the DMK — ensured that the PAC, headed by senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi, could not record the evidence of Attorney General Goolam Vahanvati and CBI Director A P Singh. The CBI chief was made to wait for almost three hours. The A-G, who had been called to depose in connection with the legal opinion he had given as Solicitor General to the Department of Telecommunications on Swan Telecom, left after waiting for half an hour.

The charge at the PAC meeting was led by Saifuddin Soz, K S Rao, Arun Kumar Vundavalli and Naveen Jindal of the Congress and Tiruchi Siva of the DMK. Vundavalli reportedly said a JPC had been constituted to probe the scandal and, therefore, there was no need for the PAC to handle the issue. Rao argued that the issue was sub judice. Joshi countered them by showing the letter written by the Speaker. He said witnesses were free not to say something if they felt it could be used against their interest in court cases.

Pranav · Post by **Pranav** » 16 Apr 2011 19:11

Who's stalling Telgi judgement? - http://www.timesnow.tv/Whos-stalling-Te ... 370451.cms

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 17 Apr 2011 03:37

SandeepA wrote:This is alarming..
I am seeing English channels on TV and they are talking abt this Anna Hazare movement as some Indian equivalent of the Tahir Square. I'm now sure this is being instigated from outside interests (cant be RSS for sure if Desi channels develop a love for this) just like all the color and flower coded agitations we are now used to seeing.
Since when did Anna become such a mass leader??

One Indian lady expressed similar concern that Baba Ramdev is joining the anti corruption drive. She even said some harm will come to him.

Pranav · Post by **Pranav** » 17 Apr 2011 18:38

Press conference by Shanti Bhushan on a doctored CD that has been circulated: http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/news/d ... han/196879

Sushupti · Post by **Sushupti** » 18 Apr 2011 00:52

Iqbal Singh, the Pondi Gov, is close to Ahmed Patel, Sonia's Pol advisor

http://www.freepressjournal.in/Details. ... id=3242921

somnath · Post by **somnath** » 19 Apr 2011 07:17

Good interview of the CEC on political corruption...SY Qureshi is one of the best we have had - at the same level as Lyngdoh..

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/in-a- ... e/777953/0

Airavat · Post by **Airavat** » 19 Apr 2011 09:11

Missing diary registers of the office of the then telecom minister, A Raja, delaying CBI

Sushupti · Post by **Sushupti** » 19 Apr 2011 18:17

http://daily.bhaskar.com/pdf/radia.pdf

link to statement CBI recorded from Nira

Hari Seldon · Post by **Hari Seldon** » 20 Apr 2011 10:42

This is significant even if only tangentially related to the 2G scam. Consider it a fallout, perhaps?

India Plans Paper Trail for Electronic Voting Machines

India first tested EVMs in a by-election in 1982. The machines were first deployed on a large scale of over 1 million EVMs in a general election in 2004.

By providing a verifiable paper trail, the requirement of transparency in the EVMs will have been met, said Hari Prasad, a security researcher, on Tuesday.

Hari Prasad and other researchers released a video last year that they said demonstrated vulnerabilities in the EVMs. The researchers hacked an EVM that had already been used in an election, to show that voting records could be manipulated.

A hack of the EVM control unit by Prasad and his team involved replacing the display board of the machine with a look-alike component that could be instructed through a Bluetooth connection on a mobile phone to steal a percentage of the votes in favor of a chosen candidate.

Another attack used a pocket-sized device that could be attached to the memory of the EVM to change the votes stored in the EVM, during the period between the election and the public counting session, the researchers said.

The EVMs are vulnerable to tampering at a number of stages, including the moment the software that runs them is burned onto their chips, while the machines are stored before an election, and during the period between the voting and the counting of the votes, the researchers said.

By having a paper tail, the voter will be able to ensure that his vote is recorded correctly, Prasad said. In the event of a suspicion of tampering, the candidate can ask for a recount on the basis of the paper record of the voting, he added.

Prasad was arrested last year by the Mumbai police for the alleged theft of the EVM, and is now out on bail. Prasad said he had received the EVM for investigation from an unknown source.

Hallelujah!

Pranav · Post by **Pranav** » 20 Apr 2011 11:01

Hari Seldon wrote:This is significant even if only tangentially related to the 2G scam. Consider it a fallout, perhaps?

India Plans Paper Trail for Electronic Voting Machines

...
Hallelujah!

Not so fast. This plan is a complete eye-wash - the EC is planning to destroy all paper receipts immediately after voting is over. There will be no guarantee that the vote on the printed receipt is the same as the vote recorded electronically.

The Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) could soon have a small printer to tell you to whom your vote has been cast. You will not get the receipt, which would be destroyed by election officers once polling gets over.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/EVMs-may- ... 85308.aspx

The commission has appointed a team of five IIT experts to have small printers attached to EVMs to produce a receipt of the vote cast without disclosing the identity of the voter.

The voter will only be able to see the receipt, which will be dumped into a sealed box. All the receipts will be destroyed once the voting gets over.

But Quraishi said the demand by some political parties, including the BJP, to make the paper trail verifiable later was “dangerous” and unsafe for the voter.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage ... 59092.aspx#