SC opinion on Prez Reference on 2G a relief: Khurshid

He also said the verdict of the five-judge bench was a "vindication" of what the government has been saying on the issue of 2G spectrum allocation.

"Today, it is clear that what we did was right, therefore, it is a relief...It is comforting," Khurshid told reporters after the verdict.

Replying to a volley of questions on the attack mounted by the Opposition on the issue of 2G against the government, he said, "the opposition parties should respect the courts. Nobody would listen to us. They attacked us after the (February, 2012) judgement, now our stand has been vindicated...People, including the Opposition had put question mark on the decisions of the government."

He also said in a lighter vein that had the apex court "said otherwise, we would have been roasted alive...Now would the opposition go back on what they had said."

He said the verdict will give the government important guidance as it moves forward and enable the Centre take forward its public policies.

In a word of caution, he also said that the chapter is "not closed" as curative petitions filed by affected companies were still pending in the Supreme Court.

He said the verdict will provide enough material for judges who go through the curative petitions.

The verdict, he said, does not mean that the government has the "freedom to act in the way we like. It has to be under the parameters of judicial review."

He said the verdict has further enforced the principle of separation of powers between the judiciary and the executive.

In the coming days Khurshid, along with Finance Minister P Chidambaram and Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal will make a detailed presentation before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the verdict after going through the detailed order.

He refused to answer questions on the affect the judgement will have on cases against people like former Telecom Minister A Raja but said people were free to use past and present court orders to further their case.