2G scam: Government to respond in Supreme Court today

NEW DELHI - The Government will on Thursday respond to remarks by Supreme Court on the inaction and silence of Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh on a complaint seeking action against former Telecom Minister A. Raja over the 2G spectrum allocation.

Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium will address the Supreme Court’s queries related to Dr. Singh’s ’silence’ in the scam.

On Wednesday, Congress spokesman Manish Tewari said: “The Supreme Court has asked the government a question and the government will give an appropriate response.”

Tewari refuted allegations that the government had been soft-pedalling the 2G scam.

Earlier on Tuesday, the apex court asked the Government to explain why the Prime Minister took sixteen months in taking a decision on a plea for sanction of prosecution of the former Telecom Minister in the controversial 2G spectrum allocation issue.

“Can the sanctioning authority (Prime Minister in this case) sit on the complaint,” said an apex court bench comprising Justices G S Singhvi and A K Ganguly on hearing a petition filed by Janata Party President and former Law Minister Subramaniam Swamy, who had sought sanction for the prosecution of Raja.

Raja was forced to resign on Sunday night under considerable pressure from the Congress, which has been attacked in Parliament by a united Opposition for corruption.

Meanwhile, Pandemonium is expected to continue in the Parliament today also even as the Congress has called for an all-party meet to try and end the impasse.

Sensing the negative impact of the entire controversy, the Congress Core Group would be meeting today to be followed by a Cabinet meeting later in the day. (ANI)