Swamy goes after Chidambaram over 2G scam

Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy has written a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, seeking his permission to prosecute Union Home Minister P Chidambaram in the 2G spectrum scam, along with former telecom minister A Raja.

Raja is currently lodged in Tihar Jail for allegedly causing a loss of Rs 176,000 crore to the nation's exchequer by auctioning off 2G spectrum licences to favoured parties.

Swamy, who has repeatedly claimed that Congress President Sonia Gandhi also played a role in the scam, threatened to move the trial court if Dr Singh denied permission to prosecute Chidambaram.

He alleged that Chidambaram, who was the finance minister during the 2008 auction, was also complicit with Raja, though the current home minister had opposed the policy of first-come-first-serve basis initiated by the latter.

"The licences were given in 2008 at the rates of 2001," said Swamy.

"In your own speech in Rajya Sabha on Feburary 24, 2011, you have said 'the then finance minister (Chidambaram) consulted with the minister, telecommunications and the two ministers worked out an agreed formula on the spectrum charges, which was reported to me in a meeting on July 4, 2008'," Swamy quoted Dr Singh as saying in Parliament.

He charged that Chidambaram held meetings with the officials of the law ministry at Hotel Aman in Lodhi Complex.

"The hotel is owned by (Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law) Robert Vadra who holds managing shares and 20 percent stake in Unitech -- one of the firms that benefited from Raja's scheme," Swamy alleged.

He also quoted a report given to former home minister Shivraj Patil that claimed Swan Telecom promoter Shahid Balwa had links with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, and he should be not allowed to bring money into India.

Though Chidambaram had access to the report, he chose not to use its contents against Shahid Balwa who has been arrested for his involvement in the 2G scam, alleged Swamy.

"This is reckless disregard of national security and his oath of office where national integrity has been seriously compromised," the Janata Dal president wrote in the letter.

In reply to a question on whether Chidambaram had benefited monetarily from the scam,  Swamy alleged that this must have been the case as he saw no reason behind the home minister changing his mind after initially refusing to accept Raja's arguments.