BJP urges CBI to probe allegations against Maran

Hours after Bharatiya Janata Party general secretary J P Naddha demanded the resignation of Dayanidhi Maran from the Union Cabinet, Naddha dashed off a letter to Central Bureau of Investigation director A P Singh, asking him to investigate various allegations against Maran in respect to issuance of license to Aircel mobile company and his alleged role in the 2G spectrum scam.

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MP has been in the thick of a controversy after reports appeared in the media about Maran and his family members having stakes in the Sun Television.

"Certain very disturbing questions have been raised about   the role of Dayanidhi Maran who was the Union telecom minister from May 2004 till May 2007," Naddha wrote in his letter.

He raised four key questions about Maran. First, was Aircel given license for large number of new areas after a Malaysian company Maxix Communication acquired 74 per cent stake in the said company when Maran was the telecom minister?

Second, is it a fact that 2G spectrum was granted during his tenure to this company along with license at the 2001 rate itself?

Third, is it a fact that one of the group companies of the said foreign investor further invested a huge amount in Sun Direct TV owned by the family members of Dayanidhi Maran, when he was the telecom minister?

And lastly, is it a fact that the said investment was made by purchase of equity at a very high premium?

Maran's supporters alleged that the mud-slinging campaign against him is being carried out by corporate lobbyist Niira Radia as he had refused to grant UAS license to Tata.

"As far as the Sun TV is concerned, it came into existence in 1994 well before Maran became telecom minister. He has no stake in Sun TV and hence there is no question of investing money in the venture," a close confidant of Maran told rediff.com.

Maran has also been under intense attack from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha who requested Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to dismiss Maran as minister in case he fails to resign.