'Chidambaram has no right to look away in 2G scam'

With the Supreme Court leaving it to the trial court to decide on the probe against Home Minister P Chidambaram in 2G case, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday demanded his resignation till the matter is settled.

"He (Chidambaram) is fully involved in the entire scam and he has two days' reprieve. But issue of probity in public life demands that either Chidambaram puts in his papers on his own, or if he refuses to do so, the prime minister must recommend to the President to sack him him from the government with immediate effect," BJP leader Balbir Punj said.

When asked whether it is premature for the party to demand the resignation of Chidambaram, who was the then finance minister, Punj said if he is given a clean chit by the trial court, he can return to the Union Cabinet.

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Additional Reportage: PTI

Welcoming the apex court's judgment, he said it has confirmed what the country knew -- that 2G is one of the biggest scams and all allocations made were "absolutely fraudelent and not done on merit but on other considerations".

Meanwhile, the Congress today noted that the Supreme Court has not passed any remark against Chidambaram in the 2G case, but withheld detailed comment pending study of the apex court order.

"We have respect for the judgment of the Supreme Court. They have not passed any remarks against Home Minister P Chidambaram and as far as telecom licenses are concerned, which have been cancelled, we have not gone through the judgment so far," party spokesperson Rashid Alvi said.

He said it is too early to comment on the judgment. "Let us go through the judgment," he added.

The Supreme Court today left it to the trial court to decide on the demand for investigation of the alleged role of Chidambaram into the 2G spectrum allocation scam but refused to give direction to the CBI on the issue.

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The Communist Party of India on Thursday attacked Home Minister P Chidambaram, saying that he cannot absolve himself as it was his job to prevent irregularities in the issue.

Describing the Supreme Court orders on 2G spectrum as a "fine judgment", CPI general secretary A B Bardhan said, "It was his job as the (then) finance minister to prevent irregularities. He has no right to look away. There is criminal culpability."

He was reacting to the Supreme Court order canceling the allocation of 2G spectrum and asking a trial court to decide on investigating Chidambaram's role in the case.

Bardhan alleged that Chidambaram was in the loop and his responsibility was very clear.

He said the judgment was an indictment of the first-come, first-serve policy. "I don't think the then NDA (national democratic alliance) government can escape responsibility," he said.

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