2G note controversy: Govt likely to hold internal inquiry

Even as Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday officially and publicly stuck to his stated position that the 2G note was an "inter ministerial background paper" and that the "inferences and interpretations in the note are not my views", sources say that a internal inquiry would be held at the highest level to pinpoint who had made the inferences and at whose behest.

The question being asked is whose views were on the note and why did the prime minister's office push so hard for the note to be first accepted and then leaked. The inquiry would seek answers to these questions.

It is learnt that even as the government tried to put a closure on the embarrassing episode for the sake of the media and public perception, sources say that it was decided in the meeting with the prime minister that an internal inquiry would be ordered by the prime minister and the report given to the Congress president who wanted the 2G note tamasha to end.

With a rattled Home Minister P Chidambaram unnecessarily declaring that he was satisfied with the closure of the issue, government sources say it is but a break in the ongoing battle within the government since the Supreme Court would again take up the matter from October 10, after the Durga Puja break.

Pranab Mukherjee is also going to West Bengal for Puja celebrations and he leaves on October 1. Sources said the issue could not have been left hanging during the festive season.

Sources said that Sonia Gandhi pushed the two ministers to put up a show of unity before the media and in this Kapil Sibal and Salman Khurshid were also asked to be present to send the message that it is not an issue merely between P Chidambaram and Pranab Mukherjee.

On Thursday morning Ahmed Patel went to Pranab Mukherjee's north block office after which the two went to 10 Janpath, where A K Antony was already in discussion with Sonia Gandhi. After Antony left, Pranab Mukherjee and Ahmed Patel met Sonia Gandhi where he is reported to have made it clear that he would publicly state his views in the form of a statement and that P Chidambaram would have to be satisfied with that.

Later in the evening, Pranab Mukherjee and Chidambaram met the prime minister after which the statement was made to the media in front of north block.

What Pranab Mukherjee said was a shorter reiteration of what he had said in his note to Sonia Gandhi and his letter to the prime minister. Interestingly, Sonia Gandhi called on Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh at his 7 Race Course Road residence soon after Pranab Mukherjee's statement.

Sonia Gandhi, on Thursday morning, called on the Lok Sabha speaker Meera Kumar at her residence and on Wednesday had called on President Pratibha Patil. She will be meeting Vice President Hamid Ansari also soon, say sources.

All of them had wanted to call on Sonia gandhi after her return from New York but because they are constitutional authorities, 10 Janpath had made it clear that she would come to meet them, as soon as she was well enough to do so. Sources said they were courtesy calls.

Sources, however, say that P Chidambaram's problems are far from over. Within the government, there is now bitter acrimony and distrust. Dr Subramaniam Swamy, a key BJP-RSS ally, who has very close and personal relations with Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has been doggedly attacking Chidambaram. He has promised to furnish documentary evidence to nail Chidambaram in the 2G spectrum scam and said he would furnish the evidence in court.

Along with this, there are very few supporters for the home minister in both his party and the government. The Chennai high court is pursuing the election petition against him which seeks to unseat him. The petition against Chidambaram has the full backing of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.

And to further compound the problem, the home minister's good friend Anil Ambani is being investigated in the 2G scam with the CBI telling the court on Thursday that they are pursuing investigations against him.  Three of Anil Ambani's key officials are already in Tihar jail. They may turn approver since they were only employees, working on instructions of their boss Anil Ambani.