2G chargesheet has left out core issues: Jaitley

The Bharatiya Janata Party lashed out at the Central Bureau of Investigation for procrastinating the filing of the chargesheet in the 2G spectrum scam. Leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha and senior leader Bharatiya Janata Party leader Arun Jaitley alleged that the chargesheet in the 2G spectrum case had left out "core issues" without significantly dealing with loss to the exchequer and alleged that the timetable of investigation was influenced by the April 13 Tamil Nadu assembly polls.  

Jaitley said that there are serious allegations of favour shown to the United Progressive Alliance, the Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam. "The timetable of investigation is influenced by the date of the Tamil Nadu elections."

"I think the CBI has bent backwards a little bit. They repeatedly said the prime minister was defied or misled. I don't think the chargesheet should give a political clean chit to anybody. It should deal with criminality," Jaitley, who was in Thiruvananthapuram to campaign for BJP candidates, said.

Jaitley said the CBI had acted under legal compulsions, as it was mandatory to file the chargesheet within 60 days after starting the investigation. Claiming that "huge evidences" about large sums of money being transferred to the DMK channel Kalaignar TV had surfaced during the probe, he said there was no reason to postpone such vital issues.

Asked if he thought CBI had been politically influenced to leave out issues relating to DMK, he noted that CBI itself had taken up the case only after the Supreme Court intervention. The investigating agency should avoid doing anything that would vindicate the charge of acting on political considerations, he said.

On the election scene in Kerala, Jaitley said that the principal role of the BJP in the upcoming polls is to increase the political space of the party in the state. Talking about the prospects of the BJP candidates in Kerala, Jaitley said, "This time we are determined to increase our vote percentage and enter the assembly. By this policy we want to increase our impact in the state."

To a question on the prospects of the party in the five states going to polls, he said, "The BJP will spring a surprise in Assam; we are doing well in Assam."

On what will be Communist Party of India-Marxist's position if it loses both in West Bengal and Kerala, the senior BJP leader said, "The CPI-M is a cadre-based party and losing elections will not affect it a lot. They will definitely be in a bad position but that doesn't mean that they will be wiped out."

When asked whether there would be a snap poll at the Centre after the assembly elections he said, "The results of the election will definitely affect the central government. This UPA government is weak and inefficient and let us see what will happen in May."