DMK not in tune with Chidambaram's comment on 2G

Taking serious note of former finance minister P. Chidambaram's statement that he had suggested to the UPA Government to cancel 2G licences once it came out as a scandal, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader E.V.K.S. Elangovan on Saturday said when the then Telecom Minster Kapil Sibal had come up with a 'zero loss' theory, then why should somebody say that the licenses should have been cancelled.

"Why the licenses should be cancelled because (the person) who was made the Telecom Minister in succession of Raja had clearly stated that there is no loss," said Elangovan.

"When there is no loss and this policy was laid down by the Parliament and was in force since 1999, even during the BJP government, why should somebody say that the license should be cancelled," he added.

Sibal, the then Communications and Information Technology Minister, had earlier said that 'zero loss' was caused by distributing 2G licenses on first-come-first-served basis.

The DMK leader further said, "If it was auctioned as stated by the CAG then how can they talk about the policy of government."

Chidambaram had last evening said that the mishandling of the 2G scam hurt the Congress party in the Lok Sabha elections.

The former finance minister, who was responding to a question at a discussion during a book launch function in New Delhi, said the then Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh should have put his foot down without waiting for the Supreme Court order. He added that the issue of 2G licence could have been handled differently.