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

[shyamd]

All 17 - Raji Kani etc are all charged by the court. Why did Congress back this move? This is because DMK had been getting too powerful - money/biz wise. Now they are being cut down to size on purpose.

[Prem]

Charges Confirmed Against Former India Telecom Minister
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... 96574.html

NEW DELHI--An Indian court Saturday confirmed charges of bribery, forgery, criminal breach of trust and misuse of official position--among other charges--against former telecom minister Andimuthu Raja in the case of alleged rigging in granting telecom licenses in 2008, which resulted in the government losing about $7 billion. A special court set up for the case also confirmed charges of corruption, criminal conspiracy and falsification of documents, among other charges, against lawmaker Kanimozhi Karunanidhi in the giant corporate scandal. The case has put the government, the prime minister and other senior ministers under tremendous pressure. It has also put a black ...

[kenop]

All 17 are charged based on the info/docs made available to the court. There is no role for Congress in this affair as far as I can tell.
The law is taking its own course for this time certainly.

[Manish_Sharma]

http://rashtriyaujala.com/%E0%A4%95%E0% ... A4%AC.html

केंद्र सरकार के लिए मुसीबत बने सुब्रह्मण्यम स्वामी
September 28, 2011 | Filed under: मुद्दा | Posted by: Rashtriya Ujala

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कहावत है अकेला चना भाड़ नहीं फोड़ता। लेकिन सुब्रह्मण्यम स्वामी ने इसे झूठा सिद्ध कर दिखाया है। कुछ वर्ष पूर्व जब उन्होंने सोनिया गांधी के विदेशी बैंकों में जमा अकूत धन के विषय में लेख लिखा, प्रधान मंत्री को पत्र लिखा और प्रेस कान्फ्रेंस में अपनी बात दुहराई, तो कांग्रेसियों ने उन्हें पागल करार दिया। सरकार समर्थित मीडिया ने उन्हें अफवाह फैलाने वाला और सस्ती लोकप्रियता के लिए मनगढ़न्त कहानी बनाने वाला सबसे बड़ा झूठा घोषित किया। कांग्रेसियों ने डॉ. स्वामी के घर हमला भी किया था। लेकिन सुब्रह्मण्यम स्वामी न तो डरे और न हार मानी। टू जी स्पेक्ट्रम घोटाले की गंध सबसे पहले उन्होंने ही सूंघी। नवम्बर, 2008 में पौने दो लाख करोड़ रुपयों के घोटाले में संचार मंत्री सहित कई प्रभावशाली मंत्रियों और वी.आई.पी. की संलिप्तता के विषय में प्रमाण सहित उन्होंने जांच के लिए पांच चिट्ठियां लिखीं। हमारे तथाकथित ईमानदार प्रधानमंत्री ने न कोई कार्यवाही कि और न चिट्ठियों का कोई उत्तर ही दिया, उल्टे राजा, मारन और चिदम्बरम को क्लीन चीट दी अलग से।

डॉ. स्वामी ने सर्वोच्च न्यायालय में जनहित याचिका दायर की, खुद ही बहस की और सुप्रीम कोर्ट को पूर्ण रूप से संतुष्ट कर दिया कि घोटाला हुआ था। सरकार तो निष्क्रिय रही लेकिन सुप्रीम कोर्ट सक्रिय हुआ और सारा घोटाला सामने आ गया। फिर एक-एक कर कैग, सी.बी.आई, ट्राई और संयुक्त संसदीय समिति ने भी घोटाले की पुष्टि की। परिणामस्वरूप पूर्व संचार मंत्री ए. राजा, करुणानिधि की बेटी और दर्जनों घोटालेबाज तिहाड़ जेल की शोभा बढ़ा रहे हैं। कोई स्वीकार करे या न करे, भ्रष्टाचार के खिलाफ पूरे देश में जो माहौल बना, उसके लिए जमीन सुब्रह्मण्यम स्वामी ने ही तैयार की थी। अब डॉ. स्वामी की बातों को कोई हल्के में नहीं लेता न कोर्ट, न सरकार और न जनता। मीडिया का रुख अभी भी संतोषजनक नहीं है। सुब्रह्मण्यम स्वामी के अनुसार जेल में बंद ए. राजा बहुत छोटी मछली हैं। बड़ी मछलियां तो आज भी बाहर हैं। गृहमंत्री पी. चिदम्बरम और पूर्व संचार मंत्री दयानिधि मारन का इस घोटाले में बहुत बड़ा हिस्सा है। मारन को तो मंत्री पद से इस्तीफा देना पड़ा, चिदम्बरम जी जल्दी ही चित्त होने वाले हैं।

गत 21 सितम्बर को सुप्रीम कोर्ट को डॉ. स्वामी द्वारा सौंपे गए अभिलेखों में 30 जनवरी, 2008 का वह अभिलेख भी है जिसमें चिदम्बरम ने खुली निविदा के बदले पहले आओ, पहले पाओग की ए. राजा की नीति का अनुमोदन किया था। ध्यान देने की बात है कि इस नीति के कारण ही दोनों अपनी मन पसन्द कंपनियों को 2-जी स्पेक्ट्रम का इच्छित भाग आवंटित कर पाए जिसके कारण देश को पौने दो लाख करोड़ रुपयों का घाटा उठाना पड़ा। टू जी स्पेक्ट्रम घोटाले का एक बड़ा हिस्सा राजा के अतिरिक्त चिदम्बरम को भी प्राप्त हुआ था, जिसे उन्होंने विदेशी बैंक में जमा किया। इन्टरनेट पर जारी सूचना के अनुसार चिदम्बरम के नाम से 32000 करोड़ रुपए जमा हैं जबकि ए. राजा के विदेशी खाते में मात्र 7800 करोड़ रुपए जमा हैं। प्रधान मंत्री अभी भी उन्हें बेदाग बता रहे हैं। चिदम्बरम यदि मंत्रिपरिषद से त्यागपत्र दे देते हैं, तो अभी जेल जाएंगे और नहीं देते हैं अगली सरकार जेल भेजेगी। सुब्रह्मण्यम स्वामी ने टू जी घोटाले में तीसरे और सबसे बड़े लाभार्थी के रूप में कांग्रेस अध्यक्ष सोनिया गांधी के नाम का खुलासा किया है। उनका कहना है कि कुल घोटाले की 60 प्रतिशत राशि सोनिया जी और उनके रिश्तेदारों के पास गई है। सोनिया जी की बहनें, अनुष्का और नाडिया प्रत्येक ने 18000 करोड़ रुपए पाए। उन्होंने दिनांक 15.4.11 को 206 पृष्ठों की एक याचिका उपलब्ध प्रमाणों के साथ प्रधानमंत्री के समक्ष दायर की है जिसके द्वारा उन्होंने सोनिया जी के खिलाफ मुकदमा चलाने की गुजारिश की है। उन्होंने सन 1972 के बाद सोनिया जी द्वारा अवैध धन कमाने और भ्रष्टाचार के विवरण मजबूत साक्ष्यों के साथ दिए हैं।

स्विस पत्रिका का संदर्भ देते हुए यह रहस्योद्घाटन किया है कि उस समय यूनियन बैंक आफ स्विट्जरलैंड के राजीव गांधी के खाते में 2.2 बिलियन डालर जमा थे और सोनिया जी के खाते में 13000 करोड़ रुपए। प्रधानमंत्री कार्यालय से उनकी याचिका का कोई उत्तर प्राप्त नहीं हुआ है, होगा भी नहीं। हमारे ईमानदार प्रधानमंत्री सब कर सकते हैं लेकिन सोनिया जी की नाराजगी नहीं मोल ले सकते। कुर्सी और अस्तित्व का सवाल जो है। एक वर्ष पूर्व तक सुब्रह्मण्यम स्वामी को गंभीरता से नहीं लेने वाले उनके आलोचक भी अब उनकी बातों में गहराई तलाश रहे हैं। टू जी मामले में डॉ, स्वामी ने जिस पर भी ऊंगली उठाई है, उस पर घोटाला साबित हुआ है। राजा, मारन, चिदम्बरम की पोल तो खुल गई है, अब सोनिया जी की बारी है। धुन के पक्के डॉ. स्वामी ने असंभव से दीखने वाले अनेक कार्य अकेले किए हैं जिसे कई संगठन मिलकर भी नहीं कर सकते थे। लोकनायक जय प्रकाश नारायण की संपूर्ण क्रान्ति से प्रेरणा प्राप्त बनी जनता पार्टी को जब उसके सारे घटक दलों ने छोड़ दिया, सुब्रह्मण्यम स्वामी ने अकेले उसका झंडा पकड़े रखा। वे आज भी संपूर्ण क्रान्ति के लिए प्रतिबद्ध जनता पार्टी के राष्ट्रीय अध्यक्ष हैं। पूर्व प्रधानमंत्री अटल बिहारी वाजपेयी के आहवान पर वे हार्वार्ड युनिवर्सिटी, अमेरिका में प्राफ्रेसर की नौकरी छोड़कर दिल्ली आए और तात्कालीन जनसंघ को सुस्पष्ट स्वदेशी आर्थिक नीति दी।

इन्दिरा गांधी की तानाशाही और आपात्काल का उन्होंने प्रखर विरोध किया। सरकार ने उन्हें गिरफ्तार करने की बहुत कोशिश की लेकिन उन्हें गिरफ्तार नहीं किया जा सका। चमत्कारिक रूप से उन्होंने सरकारी गुप्तचर एजेन्सियों को छकाते हुए इमरजेन्सी के दौरान एक दिन संसद की कार्यवाही में भाग भी लिया। बाहर निकलने पर उनको गिरफ्तार करने की मुकम्मिल तैयारी थी लेकिन पता नहीं वे किस रास्ते से बाहर निकले कि पुलिस हाथ मलती रह गई, वे गिरफ्तार नहीं किए जा सकें। इमरजेन्सी की समाप्ति तक भूमिगत रहकर उन्होंने देशव्यापी आन्दोलन चलाया था। 1990-91 में चन्द्रशेखर की सरकार में केंद्रीय वाणिज्य एवं विधि मंत्री की हैसियत से राष्ट्र के लिए आर्थिक सुधारों का पहला ब्लू प्रिन्ट डॉ. स्वामी ने ही तैयार किया था जिसे पूर्व प्रधानमंत्री नरसिंहा राव ने भी अनुमोदित किया। नरसिंहा राव उनकी प्रतिभा से इतने प्रभावित थे कि उन्होंने दलगत राजनीति से उपर उठकर उन्हें लेबर स्टैन्डरड्स और इन्टरनेशनल ट्रेड कारपोरेशन का अध्यक्ष बनाया। नरसिंहा राव, मनमोहन सिंह और सुब्रह्मण्यम स्वामी की तिकड़ी ने ही भारत में आर्थिक सुधारों की नींव डाली। इसमें सर्वाधिक उल्लेखनीय भूमिका डॉ. स्वामी की ही थी। प्रधान मंत्री मनमोहन सिंह ने कुछ ही महीने पूर्व इस तथ्य को स्वीकार किया है।

Nice to see local hindi newspapers following it up nicely!

[chetak]

All 17 are charged based on the info/docs made available to the court. There is no role for Congress in this affair as far as I can tell.
The law is taking its own course for this time certainly.

No role??

The kangress is the one running the protection racket.

They are in the process of extracting a lot of protection money.

The marans have already paid through their noses and so have kept out of the chakki peasing activity so far.

[shyamd]

Charity begins at home with positivism from PMO

Prabhu Chawla
Last Updated : 23 Oct 2011 08:42:14 AM IST

Even a great leader of high personal integrity who doesn’t practice what he preaches is bound to carry very little conviction and credibility with the people. On Saturday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh pleaded with 25-odd chief ministers to “guard against the mood of negativism that seems to have gripped the country”. For most of them, the sermon was salt on wounds inflicted by the Centre. Three of them took the UPA to task for its negative attitude towards their states and imposing “fascist legislation”. Manmohan queered the pitch. While UPA ministers and Congress chief ministers ignored his remarks, the rest were assertive in placing the blame on the UPA’s doorstep for being confrontationist and for targeting non-Congress governments and leaders.

Negativism begets negativism. For the past seven years, the UPA hasn’t built a consensus on any national issue. It has conceived and planned schemes and policies that have shaken the very foundation of Indian democracy’s federal character. Both fiscal and social sector policies involving MGNREGA, national highways, Value Added Tax, environment and forest clearances, higher education expansion, power generation projects, etc have been designed in such a way that state governments are finding it difficult to sustain their growth momentum. If a power project is cleared by a state, the coal ministry finds it extremely difficult to allocate coal. If a new airport is proposed, the Environment Ministry makes life miserable for the promoters with inane objections. Furthermore, most legislations adopted by state governments are held up for years either by governors or at the Centre. Some governors, in states like Gujarat, Orissa and Karnataka, have been needling their state governments on one pretext or the other, while encouraging dissidence. At the Centre, the UPA has been at war with the Opposition. Using technical objections, its members didn’t allow the Public Accounts Committee to finish its reports, a tactic also used by the Congress in Goa.

Approval for over a dozen laws, duly passed by the Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Bihar Assemblies is pending with either the governor or the President. Instead of offering a sympathetic ear, the Centre hasn’t responded to numerous requests from various chief ministers for special packages. For example, even special resolutions passed by Orissa and Bihar, seeking special assistance, haven’t been properly considered. On the other hand, Manmohan and his ministers don’t take a minute to announce significant financial assistance to their regional allies. It is due to the Central leadership’s unresponsive attitude that most chief ministers have stopped visiting Delhi. Instead, they operate through their civil servants. Manmohan, who rarely visits the states, has hardly made any extra gesture to fly to any of the non-Congress ruled states to help resolve their problems.

If most states are peeved with the Centre for its negative vibes, so are the leaders of civil society and constitutional bodies. Recently, Comptroller and Auditor General of India Vinod Rai was subjected to a vicious smear campaign for his bold reports on the 2G scam and other financial irregularities. This immediately prompted attempts to dig for dirt in his past record. Expecting a strong reaction, it was left to Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee to defend Rai. Most despicable is the vicious campaign against civil society leaders, from Baba Ramdev to Kiran Bedi. Various agencies were unleashed to snoop out every hole in their closets for hidden wealth and secret documents. It was the worst kind of political butchery of the civil society movement; instead of reading the message, the Government and its megaphones shot the messengers. But it failed miserably. If the corporate sector is unable to perform today, it is not due to negative feelings against the Government. Not one of them is sure of getting clearances on time. For one Union minister who helps the industry, there are at least two who are out to torpedo their colleagues. Legislation on both sports and manufacturing policy fell through because of the static of negativity within the Prime Minister’s office.

If Manmohan is determined to create a positive environment for better governance and healthy democracy, he and his colleagues have to be more tolerant and less abrasive. The might of the state may maim and incapacitate a few individuals, but this generates such a negative force that can lead to much more catastrophic results. Let the Prime Minister begin the charity of positivity from his own home. He may, then, find many others walking the extra mile.

[email protected]

[ramana]

Also above is a very good description of competetive authoritarianism which was described above in Bismarck book review.

[kenop]

All 17 are charged based on the info/docs made available to the court. There is no role for Congress in this affair as far as I can tell.
The law is taking its own course for this time certainly.

No role??

I see now.

The kangress is the one running the protection racket.

They are in the process of extracting a lot of protection money.

The marans have already paid through their noses and so have kept out of the chakki peasing activity so far.

May get out of their hands soon as Subramanian Swamy's entry as public prosecutor is likely.
My comment was focussed on the framing of charges alone which depends on the court records.
Interesting times ahead, should we say?

[vijayk]

http://www.rediff.com/news/slide-show/s ... 111025.htm

Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy on Tuesday filed an FIR in New Delhi against United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi and members of the National Advisory Council' (which is headed by Gandhi) 'for committing offences of propagating hate against the Hindu community by circulating for enacting as law a draft bill described as Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence Bill, 2011.'



In his complaint Swamy said that the 'draft bill is mischievous in content of targeting the Hindu community, malafide, unreasonable and prejudicial to public order, is apparent from the second section of explanatory note to the draft bill titled "Key Provisions of the Bill", thereby inciting crimes against the Hindu community with impunity, and thus committing offences under section 153A & B, 295A and 505(2) of the Indian Penal Code.'

Swamy, thus noted, "The object of the re-drafted bill thus was the basic premise of the NAC that the majority community -- read Hindus -- are the perpetrators of communal violence in India and the minority -- read Muslims and Christians -- are the victims, clearly is incitement of religious strife."

"What is more important is to conclude is that in all cases of communal and targeted violence, dominant religious and linguistic group at the state level is always the perpetrator and the other the victims. Similarly the conclusion that the state machinery is invariably and always biased against the non-dominant group is a gross misstatement of the sincerity and commitment of millions of people who form state administration in the country," Swamy said.

"This dangerous premise is the incitement of communal strife in this bill," he added.

[Vasu]

Team Anna diverting attention from saffron terrorism: Mainos' rabid pet

Taking a swipe at Team Anna's fight against corruption, Congress leader Digvijay Singh today said the civil society members were diverting attention of the people from terror activities perpetrated by saffron outfits.

"I have always being saying from Day One that this (Team Anna's fight against corruption) is a part of an overall plan of RSS-BJP combine to divert the attention from Sangh's involvement in Malegaon, Hyderabad, Ajmer Sharif and Samjhauta Express blasts," the AICC General Secretary told reporters at the Bangalore International Airport here.

The UPA government had taken all possible steps under the leadership of AICC President Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to check corruption, Singh said.

"The Right to Information Act was brought by us and Money Laundering Act was made stringent by us," he said.

[vishvak]

Team Anna diverting attention from saffron terrorism: Mainos' rabid pet

Taking a swipe at Team Anna's fight against corruption, Congress leader Digvijay Singh today said the civil society members were diverting attention of the people from terror activities perpetrated by saffron outfits.

"I have always being saying from Day One that this (Team Anna's fight against corruption) is a part of an overall plan of RSS-BJP combine to divert the attention from Sangh's involvement in Malegaon, Hyderabad, Ajmer Sharif and Samjhauta Express blasts," the AICC General Secretary told reporters at the Bangalore International Airport here.

The UPA government had taken all possible steps under the leadership of AICC President Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to check corruption, Singh said.

"The Right to Information Act was brought by us and Money Laundering Act was made stringent by us," he said.

See how communal this guy is. He declares that saffron( ?? ) outfits are terrorists. Then connects them to Civil society members indirectly. BJP, RSS, Anna, saffron, terrorism all in the same paragraph.

This guy is communal and anti-Hindu of the lowest order. Those who vote for such people are themselves communal.

Then he collects all credit for RTI.

[derkonig]

deleted by mod

[Virupaksha]

deleted by mod

[vishvak]

Isn't doggy an xian? That would easily explain his anti-Hindu outlook and treachery towards India.

Maino Chamcha has repeatedly proclaimed to be a hindu.

Per this blog he is a Christian.
link

[Virupaksha]

Per this blog he is a Christian.
link

Forget blogs, he has said it in public and the matter of his personal religion ends there.

Anyway, no religion has a monopoly on traitors and buffoons.

[Jarita]

Per this blog he is a Christian.
link

These kind of blogs give Maino too much credit. I am sure she loves the image of being a new Helena without working towards it.
I believe that she is just greedy and has no personal allegiance to India and therefore willing to sell anything for the right price. Certain global groups aligned with her because they can pay the price. Nothing more and nothing less.

[vijayk]

Per this blog he is a Christian.
link

Forget blogs, he has said it in public and the matter of his personal religion ends there.

Anyway, no religion has a monopoly on traitors and buffoons.

+100

You have bigger traitors who sell this country for a dime. of no particular religion

[Gus]

I have always being saying from Day One that this (Team Anna's fight against corruption) is a part of an overall plan of RSS-BJP combine to divert the attention from Sangh's involvement in Malegaon, Hyderabad, Ajmer Sharif and Samjhauta Express blasts," the AICC General Secretary told reporters at the Bangalore International Airport here.

classic case of projection.

[vijayk]

http://www.politicsparty.com/SONIA_ABROAD.php

Madam is not in India. Looks like she left the country secretly.

[anmol]

2G-stung Nira quits business

Monday, 31 October 2011 00:51 PNS | New Delhi
Nira Radia, the controversial lobbyist figuring in the 2G spectrum scam, has called it a day. Issuing a statement on Sunday, she declared the closure of her business activities, without spelling out future plans.


“To give precedence to my personal priorities of family and health, I have decided against renewing any client mandates and to exit the business of communications consultancy,” she said, adding that the decision was painful, taken after much consideration and consultation.

“I thank our key clients for their understanding and mutual agreement to bring closure to this decision. I am also grateful to them for their support in taking my decision to its logical conclusion, offering assistance in mitigating the damages and thereby fulfilling all our existing contractual commitments,” Radia said in her statement.

Radia’s lobbying and her alleged role in spectrum scam was first exposed in The Pioneer on April 28, 2010, which shook Parliament for several days, leading to the exit of former Telecom Minister A Raja.

Her tapped telephonic conversations also raised a storm in the media and exposed the unholy nexus of certain mediapersons in shoddy corporate deals and intervention in the Cabinet formation also. She was summoned by Public Accounts Committee (PAC), along with corporate titans like Ratan Tata.

Radia’s Vaishnavi Communications, India’s biggest public relations firm, was handling the accounts of Tata Group and Mukesh Ambani. She owned several companies like Noesis Strategic Consulting Services, Vitcom Consulting and Neucom Consulting. Her flagship company Vaishnavi’s website was also found defunct on Sunday and she was not available for comments.

Radia, 52, Kenyan-born British citizen, landed in India in the end of the 90s, after facing a setback to her small travel companies in London. Her business flourished after she got the accounts of the entire Tata Group companies. When her tapes were leaked, Tata approached the Supreme Court citing privacy, appealing for action and stoppage of publications.

After Supreme Court’s monitoring of the 2G cases, CBI and Enforcement Directorate had grilled Radia for several days. She is a prosecution witness in the spectrum scam case in the CBI Special Court. According to sources, she has to appear in the Special Court during trial in December or January and she may opt for leaving country after deposing in the court.

Reacting to her surprise decision, Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata said, “The Tata Group respects the personal wishes of Nira Radia in not renewing any client mandates. She has built Vaishnavi from scratch into the company it is today, often subordinating her personal and family interests in favour of her clients’ priorities.”

Vaishnavi had the public relations mandate of the Tata Group since 2001 during which period it contributed significantly to the building of the Tata Brand, he said. Vaishnavi’s engagement with the Group has been ethical and satisfactory, he added.

A Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) spokesman said, “We regret the decision of Nira Radia to discontinue her association with the business of communications consultancy and not renew any of her client mandates.”

He said “We have enjoyed a professional and fulfilling relationship with Radia and her team over the last three years. Radia’s commitment has been very impressive and she has always led her team in a manner that tactical developments do not lead to a de-focus on the strategic issues.

“We do appreciate and respect her wishes for a compelling need to focus on her family and personal issues. Radia leaves behind a very capable team and an indelible mark on the communications consultancy business....,” the RIL spokesperson added.

2G: SC questions CBI double speak on bail pleas of accused
Oct 31, 2011 at 04:31pm IST

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday questioned the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on its alleged double speak on the bail applications of the accused in the 2G spectrum allocation scam including DMK MP Kanimozhi.

The apex court asked the CBI that if the investigative agency was sure that evidence will not be tampered with, then why were the accused still being kept in jail.

"When you are sure they will not tamper with evidence why keep them behind bars?" The Supreme Court judge asked the CBI officials.

He also questioned the CBI saying, "When you do not want them for further investigations why keep them in jail?"

The CBI had earlier told the Supreme Court that they will oppose the bail applications of all accused in the trial court but last week the CBI Counsel UU Lalit had not opposed bail for the five accused in the 2G case.

However, the CBI opposed the bail pleas of three executives of Reliance Telecom on Monday.

[Vasu]

Drama as Congress wants CAG out of PAC meeting

The United Progressive Alliance’s (UPA’s) 2G headache is turning into a migraine. The Opposition turned more assertive today and the Congress more aggressive in its defence at the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) meetings on the 2G spectrum scam.

The issue in question was why there was such a vast difference in presumptive loss estimates by two officials in the Comptroller and Auditor General’s office.

R P Singh, former director general, post and telegraph, was scheduled to be heard as a witness at the PAC meeting. Congress member Sanjay Nirupam demanded Vinod Rai, the present comptroller and auditor general (CAG), leave the room as Singh would be constrained in his testimony by the presence of a senior official, as he was taking a stand against the CAG.

“The Congress party doesn’t know what to do because by writing an official letter to the PAC chairman asking him to call witnesses, they have made the entire discussion official and have reopened the PAC report returned by the Speaker.

The Opposition parties and UPA ally Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam want to call the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) director as the agency had estimated a loss of Rs 26,000 crore, telecom minister Kapil Sibal as he had stated there was no loss and also officials of telecom regulator Trai. That would mean the PAC proceedings would drag on.

As a result of Nirupam’s demand, members of the BJP, AIADMK, Biju Janata Dal and Shiromani Akali Dal argued Rai was not required to step outside as CAG was a constitutional authority.

When he saw Congress members were not ready to relent, PAC chairman Murli Manohar Joshi adjourned the meeting and decided to consult constitutional and legal experts before the next round.

The present crisis for the Congress started after Nirupam wrote to Joshi on October 10, asking him to call R P Singh as a witness as the retired officer had said the loss from the 2G spectrum scam was Rs 2,645 crore and not Rs 1.76 lakh crore. Soon after Singh made these statements to the media, Rai wrote to Joshi, asking him to allow the CAG to clarify the differences in opinion.

[ramana]

If you look back at Niraji's background: her past locations(British born Kenya , London) and business(commuications and liasion) looks like she is a vihiskanya for someone. Her job is done and hence being wound up.

[Jarita]

^ BP & DeBeers kaa baaps

[Sanku]

I hope folks are following the latest letter from FM (Pranab da's) office to Man mohan outlining in great detail how the entire note on which Chidambaram's culpability was discussed, was actually written at PMO and NOT at Finance min.

Wow.

Also is the note that PMO (Pulok Chatterji et al) were trying hard for PMO to put forth its own version of how things should be done in 2G, Raja mysteriously moved his version quickly ahead by 5 days pre-empting the PMO's move to bring forth a plan which would not have caused loss to exchequer.

PM meekly seems to have gone along with Raja's plan post this.

This is great fun.....

[Muppalla]

I hope folks are following the latest letter from FM (Pranab da's) office to Man mohan outlining in great detail how the entire note on which Chidambaram's culpability was discussed, was actually written at PMO and NOT at Finance min.

Wow.

Also is the note that PMO (Pulok Chatterji et al) were trying hard for PMO to put forth its own version of how things should be done in 2G, Raja mysteriously moved his version quickly ahead by 5 days pre-empting the PMO's move to bring forth a plan which would not have caused loss to exchequer.

PM meekly seems to have gone along with Raja's plan post this.

This is great fun.....

I am following

Here is the s h i t:
(1) SC reserved the judgement about a month ago about Chidu and God know why it cannot pronounce the judgement
(2) CBI opposes the bail for the babus and private sector babus while does not oppose Kani's and Raja's. SC does not do a zlitch about it in a timely fashion
(3) Meanwhile Amar Singh the criminal is free and the whistle blowers are behind the bars with no bail

There is a l o t of shit with SC that is the reason for not having a closure.

[shyamd]

Anna, Maya, Modi: Congress declares axis of evil

The mission has been decided. The targets identified. And the instruments sharpened. The Congress party, it seems, is not afraid of any political party. Instead, it fears some people more than any organised opposition. The BJP is hardly a threat. It doesn’t care about the vanishing Left and regional parties. However, Narendra Modi, Mayawati and Team Anna are its worst nightmares. The party is equally worried about the Comptroller and Auditor General of India Vinod Rai’s future moves. Its leadership is convinced that if these few individuals are neutralised, a decisive victory in the 2012 Assembly polls and the 2014 general elections will be easy. For the past few weeks, it has unleashed political and administrative instruments to demoralise and demolish these individuals. The objective is clear: if you can’t defeat them, defame them. Maverick motormouth Digvijaya Singh deserves full credit for diverting public attention from a very powerful agenda to some personalities. His allegations may sound ridiculous or bereft of credibility, but Diggy succeeded in sowing seeds of suspicion among those fighting to cleanse the system.

Last week, the target was Kiran Bedi, one of Team Anna’s most articulate members. Suddenly, her tour bills and income tax details appeared in the public domain. Instead of prosecuting her for misdemeanours, the attempt was to paint her as one of the ugliest police officers ever. Her NGO’s accounts were placed under close scrutiny. Earlier, Arvind Kejriwal was served an ultimatum by a former employee to deposit a few lakh rupees and also explain other acts of omission and commission. It is for Bedi and Kejriwal to defend their deeds or misdeeds. But one thing is clear: they have shaken the Congress more than even 2G, especially after the party lost its deposit in the Hissar by-election. The Congress wasn’t expected to win anyway, but the H-Bomb (Hazare Bomb) blast shook the party’s confidence.

The Congress is particularly unnerved by Anna’s political forays into Uttar Pradesh. Despite a massive smear campaign, Kejriwal and Bedi drew huge crowds at their public meetings in the state. The party doesn’t want Team Anna to create an anti-Congress wave in the state; the results will decide Rahul Gandhi’s political leadership. Kejriwal told me on my talk show Teekhi Baat on IBN7 that they have decided to pitch camp in Rae Bareilly and Amethi, if the Government fails to pass a powerful Jan Lokpal bill this Winter Session.

The fear of losing Uttar Pradesh again is causing panic in the Congress. Although Mayawati’s government has lost popularity, the Congress doesn’t seem to have gained any lost ground. Since it isn’t sure about its post-election alliances, Mayawati has been chosen the primary target. The Congress has pressed into action various Union ministries, commissions and even NGOs to unearth irregularities in her government. As part of the plan, Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh suddenly discovered massive malfeasance in the implementation of MNREGA schemes. He asked Maya to order a CBI inquiry. Interestingly, he hasn’t found fault with any Congress-or BJP-ruled state. The chairman of the SC and ST Commission and Congress Lok Sabha MP P L Punia ordered an FIR filed against a few officials in the case of alleged rapes in Bhatta-Parsaul. If Diggy Raja is aware of various plans of the RSS and Team Anna, so is Mayawati about the hidden agenda of the Congress. During the next few weeks, the Congress, led by Rahul Gandhi, is going to roll out Operation Destroy Mayawati. Behenji is a gigantic roadblock in Rahul’s journey to Raisina Hill, because the Congress has to win more than 50 Assembly seats in UP: almost double its current tally of 22.

The party also wants to establish Rahul’s leadership in Gujarat, where Assembly elections are due in November 2012. After having failed to create an alternative leader to Modi, the Congress has now mobilised all its energy to create dissensions within the bureaucracy and dig deep into land allotments to various companies, including the Tatas. It is not going to raise the 2002 riots issue but wants to demolish Modi’s image of a development icon. The party has put together a crack team comprising a few retired journalists, civil servants, advocates and even ad agencies to draw up the road map for forcing Modi into a corner. A Gujarat victory may also help the party to win the 2014 general elections, even if some allies fare badly or even ditch the Congress.

Strangely, the Congress party isn’t deterred by the silence of its allies who disapprove of the vilification campaign against civil society leaders and other political parties. However, for the Congress, the quality of the means has never been an issue for achieving its end. But the Congress has entered a murky tunnel which doesn’t seem to have an end.

[kmkraoind]

Judge's strong words on why he denied Kanimozhi bail - NDTV

rom Judge OP Saini's order:

- Accused Kanimozhi belongs to upper echelons of the socierty and is also a Member of Parliament.
- By no stretch of imagination she can be said to be suffering from any discrimination on ground of being a woman.
- Witnesses should have sense of safety and security - one way of generating this is to keep the accused in the custody.
- Their ultimate objective was to use public money in carefully planned manner for personal use with no right to do it.
- The order is given solely keeping in mind the facts and circumstances of the case, keeping the best interest of justice in mind.
- No opposition from the CBI to their bail but that doesn't have any bearing on

Till a year back, Dr. Artiste had felt he is omnipotent, now he must be impotent. He thought himself as a god and said there is no god (even asked for proof). He deserves all these at the fag end of his life.

[suryag]

Did he ask which college Lord Ram go to ? take it MuKa what more do you want to see in your life after this suffering

[Aditya_V]

http://www.politicsparty.com/SONIA_ABROAD.php

Madam is not in India. Looks like she left the country secretly.

For some one whose official declarations state Net worth of about INR 1.48 crore and needs to borrow a car from her daughter, she does seem to have any cash flow issues on spending money on foreign trips/ operations which would cost in a year more than her Net worth.

Yet media only wants to a few thousand taken by a Kiran Bedi or a lac or 2 by Kejriwal.

[Pratyush]

How CBI pulled the rug under Raja on spectrum ‘loss’ issue

[Muppalla]

I still suspect there are moles of INC all over SC. The DMK folks getting bail is not in the good interest of UPA and INC and hence the bail is denied while it is more than a month now since the case against Chidu is reserved and no pronouncement. The ones who can spill the whole thing are still saved while those who may have looted with no backup are put behind bars. DMK is stuck like hell in UPA and cannot go back to its socialist third front buddies. What more SC can do to help UPA than this?

[krishnan]

SS went quiet??

[ramana]

I still suspect there are moles of INC all over SC. The DMK folks getting bail is not in the good interest of UPA and INC and hence the bail is denied while it is more than a month now since the case against Chidu is reserved and no pronouncement. The ones who can spill the whole thing are still saved while those who may have looted with no backup are put behind bars. DMK is stuck like hell in UPA and cannot go back to its socialist third front buddies. What more SC can do to help UPA than this?

Also if Kani gets bail the demand for BSY to be released on bail from Karnataka jail will be made.

OTH, MK trusted the INC to get his daughter out of jail on bail and hence is shocked that it didnt happen.

[ramana]

Is he not one on Neera Radia Tapes? It seems he is back from Thailand.

Yes, the devious creep is back

And begging to sup with the devil again. Must have taken a serious hit in the "batwa". His usual regurgitated and conveniently pre digested crap is dished out below. He must take his audience for morons.

‘Radia Tapes Weren’t Authentic, They Were Manipulated’

Last November, Outlook published extracts from the Radia tapes. These were conversations that Niira Radia, head of India’s largest PR company, whose clients include the Tatas and Reliance, had with several individuals over six months in 2009. At around the same time, CDs and pen drives containing recordings of these conversations were delivered anonymously to newspapers, magazines and TV channels all over the country.

These tapes had apparently been made by the income-tax department, which had tapped Radia’s phone. Though there were said to be over 5,000 conversations, only a tiny fraction were actually leaked. But the leakers had organised them well, providing transcripts and arranging the tapes so that Radia’s conversations with relatively well-known people were bunched together and featured prominently.

Though there were at least 25 journalists on the tapes—which you would expect given that Radia’s job was to do PR for her clients—the first set of leaks prominently featured three editors, all of whom duly had their faces plastered on the cover of Outlook. One of them was me.

My conversations with Radia were not about telecom, despite packaging that suggested the contrary. They occurred in the period just after the UPA had won its second term and the Congress and the DMK were squabbling. I spoke to several sources, including Radia, during that very newsy time, extracting information about what was happening by probing and stringing them along.

The problem was that while I did indeed speak to Radia, the tape that was published differed significantly from my recollection of the conversation. Obviously, it had been edited, doctored and manipulated.

I immediately wrote out a response on my website stating this. I repeated this in the Hindustan Times and I told everybody who would listen (interviewers, the Public Accounts Committee, the Press Council etc) that the tapes were not authentic.

Having made my position clear, I looked for ways to prove that the tapes had been doctored. This turned out to be more difficult than I had anticipated. Audio labs told me that with modern technology, editing and manipulation done to digital files by a professional can be almost untraceable. Crestfallen, I abandoned this line of investigation.

Then, several months later, a Shanti Bhushan CD was sent anonymously to the media. This purported to contain a 3-way conversation between Shanti Bhushan, Amar Singh and Mulayam Singh in which Bhushan suggested that his son, Prashant, could fix a highly respected judge.

When I heard the tape, I knew that it was a fake. I don’t always agree with the Bhushans but their integrity is beyond reproach. Moreover, the judge in question is scrupulously honest and highly respected. Obviously, this tape had been doctored as well.


...............

Lest I be accused of having both US audio labs in my pocket, I then sought out a third audio expert, Paul Baker of Audio Forensic Services in the UK. Baker conducted a different kind of test. He compared a sample of my voice with the voice on the tape. His conclusion was even more shocking. The two voices, he said, “do not match”. He added that having analysed my voice sample and compared it with the voice on the tape, there were “variations in pitch, pause, pace, inflection and resonance tonal quality”.

So, I had been Shanti Bhushan-ed. It sounded like me but the tape had probably been electronically synthesised from different conversations. To the naked ear, it sounded like my voice. But a good audio lab could tell the difference.

With three respected labs in America and England saying that the tapes were manipulated or faked, I don’t think anyone can claim any longer that they are authentic. But two questions remain. First, who did it?

Frankly, I don’t know. Neither does the government—or so it says. Its current position before the courts is that these tapes were not leaked from the I-T department and that perhaps service providers had illegally tapped Radia’s phone. Moreover, the government has not been able to convincingly explain why the taps were ordered in the first place. It has changed its story from income-tax investigations to alleged threats to national security.

Off the record, government sources told me last year that corrupt officials had made the tapes at the behest of corporate interests and that genuine and false tapes may have been mingled in the I-T department’s archives. The tapes were leaked as a diversion, they suggested, to throw the media off the scent while those actually involved in the 2G scam used the time to clean up their money trails before the CBI eventually chargesheeted them.

On the other hand, corporate sources told me that this was too major an operation for any business house. They said that the leaks were a symptom of a war within the cabinet, where ministers were even bugging each other’s offices. I laughed dismissively then. I am not laughing now.

The second and more important question: what should the media do when presented with seemingly convincing tapes?

I have no right to get self-righteous about Outlook because, in my career as an editor, I have also carried tapes without verification. Besides, how reliable is verification, anyway? Consider the Shanti Bhushan tape. Though it is an obvious forgery, the government still maintains that it is genuine and has lab reports to back its case.

So, here’s what I think. Technology has now advanced to the stage where fake documents, morphed photos and fabricated tapes are all too easy to create. As journalists, we simply lack the expertise to tell what is genuine and what is a fake. So, perhaps the time has come for us to be more cautious. Just because something sounds right, it does not follow that it is genuine.

Technology can make fools—and liars—of us all.

Like this moron and self confessed liar is now making a fool of us all.

[sum]

2G scam: 29-page long sentence for Raja!

Special Judge O P Saini, hearing the 2G spectrum scam, has set a record of sorts with an unwieldy sentence running into 29 pages in the order he passed on October 22, framing charges against former Telecom Minister A Raja and 16 others.

The sentence begins at page 2 and goes on and on, with the full stop only on Page 30. It explains the charge of conspiracy against Raja and others. There are 12 other charges, each one of them set in single sentence. They are set out in just five pages.

The long conspiracy sentence that appears to have been set carefully by the judge to stand the scrutiny of battery of lawyers and the judges in the higher courts was brought to the notice of the Supreme Court by a lawyer three days ago while arguing for bail to the two accused. The SC bench did not react.

Saini, however, should not hope to find a place in the Guinness Book of World Records as there were many until four decades ago who enjoyed in writing grammatically correct lengthy sentences. The lawyer, who pinpointed his carefully-drafted order, did not give the word count of the sentence to compare it with other records.

While the longest English sentence recorded in the Guinness book is of 1,287 words in William Faulkner's novel Absalom, Absalom!, the last section of James Joyce's Ulysses, Molly Bloom's soliloquy, consists of two sentences, one 11,282 words long and second 12,931 words, while Jonathan Coe's 2001 novel The Rotters' Club contains a 13,955-word sentence.

However, as a new website that has sprung up to keep a watch on the 2G scam hearing, has already recommended Saini for an entry in the Guinness book in speed-reading or else he could not have passed orders in a mere 15-20 minutes of receiving the two charge-sheets, containing 127 pages and 49 pages respectively with approximately 85,000 pages as annexure.

[Pratyush]

Judge Saini’s reasons for no bail are sound: he is a hero

Posting in full is it has too many good points.

He has been excoriated relentlessly in all the media for refusing bail to Kanimozhi and other 2G scam accused on Thursday.

Ram Jethmalani called it a “grave, grave miscarriage of justice”. Raju Ramachandran, former additional solicitor general, said “there is no reason whatsoever… to deny bail.” Sonia Gandhi is reported by the Indian Express to have been “anguished” by it.

But Special Judge OP Saini is a hero. One look at the reasons cited by him for denying bail should dispel the impression that he was merely playing to the public gallery – which is what everyone assumes.


Judge Saini’s reasons for denying bail are clear: in this case, where the stakes are high and the powerful can easily tamper with evidence and threaten witnesses, the accused need to be kept in jail till the bulk of the hearing is over.

According to the Indian Express, Judge Saini defended his call by saying that keeping the accused in custody would “generate a sense of security” among the witnesses who were already “under a lot of pressure”.

That every witness could be under pressure can be deduced from how politicians and businessmen have been behaving. From the PM to the finance minister and the home minister, and parliamentary institutions like the JPC and the PAC, everyone has been busy trying to defuse the 2G bomb and confuse the issues involved.

The PM, and his two ministerial colleagues, have been busy pushing out ministerial letters in the public domain to deflect blame. So how can Judge Saini be wrong in concluding that the powerful have a stake in burying the scandal and will stop at nothing to kill the evidence?

Judge Saini said: “The facts and circumstances of the case itself suggest that the witnesses would be under a lot of pressure, given the serious consequences of the case for the parties. This is further compounded by the fact that the witnesses are employees, relatives, family members, colleagues and subordinates of the accused persons.”

In fact, there has been good reason to worry about the witnesses.

What, for example, happened to Sadiq Batcha – a key link in the Andimuthu Raja money trail — who committed “suicide” on 16 March? Batcha’s fortunes rose with Raja’s, but why did his life end when Raja went to jail?


Judge Saini also said: “If an accused is required to be kept in custody during trial, the reasons for the same must be valid, both in law and fact. Having said that, I may also record that the rights of victim and witnesses are also no less valuable and are required to be protected equally during trial… Victim and witnesses cannot be left to their own fate while protecting the rights of the accused.”

If Batcha had only been alive…

Or take the Kanimozhi case. The scam involves Kalaignar TV, a company she owned 80 percent along with her mother. The company, which received over Rs 200 crore from the Balwas of DB Realty via two other companies, returned the money and claimed it was a “loan” as soon as Raja was forced to resign as Communications Minister. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) believes the money was a “bribe” paid for favours shown through Raja. Why was the loan returned only after the scam broke and not earlier? Was it an attempt to cover her tracks?

If Kanimozhi had been in jail earlier, is it likely that the paperwork for the return of the Rs 200 crore “loan” would have been done without her or the Kalaignar managing director Sharat Kumar, also in jail, okaying it?

Judge Saini did not give too much importance to the fact that the CBI did not oppose bail. According to BusinessLine, he said: “Witnesses cannot be left to their own fate while protecting the rights of the accused.” The judge pointed out that if the witnesses did not feel safe, “the truth will not come out and cause justice to suffer.”

So, contrary to what the heavyweight lawyers may say, Judge Saini probably did the right thing in denying bail in the 2G case. The higher courts may overturn his order, but no one can say he did not do his best on behalf of those whose evidence will be crucial to nail the accused in the greatest financial scam in Indian history.

[Suppiah]

Some Stalinist rapist goon yellow puppets have suddenly discovered the ills of jailing someone before guilt is proven...blood is after all thicker than water...a true commie like our friend Lal Khan of TSP will of course be sad to see pure bred commie mouthpieces becoming maid servants of one dynasty or the other for commercial reasons..

[shyamd]

Refreshed, Sonia returns to find new leadership
[

Print]
Prabhu Chawla
Last Updated : 06 Nov 2011 01:15:06 AM IST

When Congress President Sonia Gandhi raises her eyebrows in the party, the Government goes into topspin. After convalescence, a rejuvenated Sonia has got back to basics. Those waiting to see her for months were shocked to receive phone calls from her office. Union ministers, chief ministers and allies were summoned to 10 Janpath for an exchange of views. Though most termed them courtesy calls, the short meetings meant business. Sonia was meeting regional party leaders and Central ministers like Sharad Pawar, Praful Patel and Dinesh Trivedi after months. She also met a few chief ministers and state Congress leaders. Since she has avoided attending formal meetings of the Congress Working Committee and the Core group, these visits left none in doubt that a massive restructuring of the party and the Government is imminent. According to insiders, the interaction was one-sided with the visitors eagerly apprising her of their problems. Many returned with the impression that a change in the top leadership of the Government and the party cannot be ruled out. The corridors of power vibrate with the fear of ministers and civil servants who keep discussing Sonia’s new mission and methods to retrieve UPA’s lost ground. With elections due in five important states in the next four months, she has to change the political discourse and agenda. Her concern is also to retain the allies who have been ignored by the Government and the party so far. Moreover, she has to redefine the contours of political architecture in a such way that Rahul and his team can walk in without fear of getting lost in the new structure.

Sonia isn’t doing anything unusual. She is only following the script written by her husband Rajiv Gandhi and mother-in-law Indira. Jawaharlal Nehru ensured his daughter would replace him. He promoted Indira as the most fearless Congress leader with a mind of her own, while other senior leaders were painted as conventional and conservative. She, in turn, introduced son Sanjay Gandhi, and then Rajiv as the face of Congress GenNext with the modern mind. She discarded those who could have challenged dynastic succession. All the Gandhis followed one golden rule—if the things go wrong in the party or the government, find the right time to strike back by finding the right scapegoat. This time, Sonia’s concern is the Government’s sagging image and a paralysed Congress.

In normal circumstances, the buck would have stopped with her. But of late, the impression is being created that she had little to do with governance and even less with party affairs, as she believes in delegation of power. She and her trusted advisers are convinced that the current Government leaders have little at stake in the party. With the majority of Cabinet ministers, including the Prime Minister, having crossed 70 years of age, none are bothered about the impact of their performance and the internal shenanigans on the party’s poll prospects.

With new leakages appearing in the rusted pipes of power, the Congress is the main target of the Opposition and civil society. Sonia’s concern seems to be that the party is being blamed for the Government’s sins. Earlier, her spin doctors were able to shift the blame on to the Government and plant stories in the media that the party’s views and the Government’s were not the same on petrol price hikes, the 2G scam, the CWG scandal and on confrontations with the Opposition and civil society. By writing letters to Anna Hazare directly, Sonia tried to distance herself from the actions of some Congress ministers. For many years, the Congress chief got credit for the good work done by the Government. But the blame on what went wrong was placed at the Prime Minister’s doorstep. Full credit is given to both Sonia and Rahul Gandhi for RTI, MGNREGA, farmers’ loan write-offs, reservation for women and the minorities and other social welfare schemes. The Government is blamed for rising inflation and corruption. The loyalists’ whispering campaign is: ‘Ganga — the government— was dirty but Gangotri — the source —is absolutely pure.’

But now people are not willing to spare Sonia for the Government’s follies that they believe is hers. Team Anna has already announced if the Lokpal Bill is not passed this Winter Session, they will campaign against the Congress. Sonia’s options are limited. She has to project a new leader who has an alternative agenda for the poor and the middle class. Her challenge is to bring the focus back to aam aadmi. At the moment the Prime Minister and his A-Team are struggling to save the sinking Euro Zone and winning accolades abroad, leaving it to the Congress leadership to face the brickbats. Sonia’s latest Formula One model is aimed to reverse the slide.

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[chaanakya]

Some Stalinist rapist goon yellow puppets have suddenly discovered the ills of jailing someone before guilt is proven...blood is after all thicker than water...a true commie like our friend Lal Khan of TSP will of course be sad to see pure bred commie mouthpieces becoming maid servants of one dynasty or the other for commercial reasons..

Someone should tell them that 66% of those jailed in India are undertrial prisoners or awaiting chargesheet.

[Muppalla]

^^^^
To me Prabhu Chawla article looks bakwas with no content. He is trying to make the readers fall in the trap that INC is different from Government. Both are same. Period.