I Am A Victim Of Corporate Cartels, Will Prove My Innocence: A Raja

[timmy]

CNN IBN: : You said you were a victim of the corporate cartel in the 2G case, can you elaborate?

A Raja: I never said I was a victim. The entire issue of 2G has been motivated by the cartel forces. Who are all the cartel forces, you are aware- the existing operators they formed an association, they wanted to maintain the cartel, they wanted to maintain the monopoly in the sector. National telecom policy which was devised in the year 1999 and approved later implemented in 2003 which says competition will bring the tariff. One thing must be kept in mind that tariff must not be fixed by the government. The telecom tariff is not fixed by the government. The theory says in the NTP 99, you inject more competition and out of the competition, automatically the tariff will come down. This is the basic principle of NTP 99. When I assumed charge as a minister, TRAI recommendation came to me that you should inject competition. I wanted to inject competition as per NTP 99. It is not at all acceptable to the cartel forces, so they sent an unsigned note in which spectrum can be auctioned, subscriber criteria can be reduced - what are all the points that may suit them, they listed out and it was forwarded to the PMO and it is unfortunate on the PM and the PMO that the note was without knowing whether the suggestions or the prayers were legitimate or legally possible, they forwarded the letter with PM's signature that the Prime Minister should be apprised before taking decision. Immediately same night, I replied as per NTP 99 spectrum cannot be auctioned because TRAI wanted to maintain the level playing field, there is no tariff fixation by the government, very clear principle underlined by TRAI is maintain the level playing field and don't disturb the system. So it was accepted in the telecom commission. Thereafter Prime Minister accepted it, he did not advise me that the telecom policy is wrong, and it should be changed. If at all PM wants to change telecom policy, let him change. As long as the policy is in existence, Raja as minister cannot change it. I made it very clear.

CNN IBN: : You have said the UPA government did not defend the spectrum allocation in court or in Parliament properly

A Raja: Everybody including Kapil Sibal and the Prime Minister on the floor of the house admitted that to maintain the level playing field, spectrum cannot be auctioned. This is the policy. But it was not properly addressed to the Supreme Court. The SC interpretation is that as per the NTP 99, spectrum should have been auctioned. So you are maintaining silence, thereafter you started to wake. Then you filed a presidential reference in the SC. By then Raja was inside so the SC passed many comments orally. The figure is mind boggling, how natural wealth can be sold like this. But the policy is not to sell the property. But by the time I was jailed, they wanted to file an application through the President of India who is holding the entire judiciary, executive and legislative. It is a complete institutional aberration. The entire Cabinet is being guided by the Planning Commission. The policy document for another five years will be designed by the Planning Commission. The commission says spectrum should not be treated as a revenue source. It should be given lower cost as tariff is important, tele density is very important. So there is a document devised by the commission. TRAI, a statutory body created under Parliament says don't auction spectrum. Telecom commission accepted it, National Telecom Policy which was designed by Cabinet and approved in Parliament says don't auction spectrum. Suddenly, CAG says had it been auctioned 1 lakh 76 crore would have been accrued to the government. So between institutional aberrations I have been put into trouble.

CNN IBN: : What about the Prime Minister and Finance Minister's role in the 2G spectrum allocation?

A Raja: Prime Minister's advice has been ignored, that is the charge against me. Finance minister advice has been ignored, that is the charge against me. Two persons are very essential, whether the Prime Minister and Finance Minister can give you an oral advice as against the law as against the procedure. If they are giving advice as against established procedure or against policy devised by Parliament whether Raja is having duty to bind it? Both are wrong they cannot give advice as against the document and if at all such advice came, as a minister who took oath on the Constitution I cannot travel beyond the document. Both are wrong. But the CBI filed a chargegeet that the PM's advice and fm's advice has been ignored. Have you gotten a single statement from them?

CNN IBN: : Why have the PM and Finance Minister not been questioned?

A Raja: That you have to ask the CBI. I am not a competent person. I am not going to insist that they be enquired. Since this is a criminal charge, I have to ask some questions. The answers are in favour of me, why should I travel beyond that. Of course this is a case where I am not getting benefit of doubt. I wanted to step into the box and I am going to depose evidence. The entire case is non-est.

CNN IBN: : Corruption is a big issue this election, with the rise of parties like AAP, what is your strategy?

A Raja: I am the first person to resist the corruption. A man who wanted to bring revolution in the telecom sector is being named a criminal. I wanted to clear this is not a corruption this is a revolution. You did not find one rupee in my house, it has been admitted by CBI, Ed and income tax. The oral evidence is that we have collected evidence from three agencies and nothing has been found against Mr A Raja. The finance secretary deposed evidence before the court, there is no loss as per NTP 99. I am facing a trial in the court and I hoping it will end in my favour.

CNN IBN: : Main accusation is that you broke the norm of first cum first in spectrum allocation to who gives cheque first. How do u defend?

A Raja: The decision was taken simultaneously in issuing licenses. A simultaneous spectrum was issued. He accused me instead of giving abcd. Raja gave xyz. That is not the case even in the charge sheet. Instead of giving abcd I charged the order to adbc. That is the charge. But ultimately spectrum has been given simultaneously within two months or three months. Who is the aggrieved person? The entire case has been blown up in the wrong sense. The first come first serve policy has been changed. It hadn't been chants. There is an aberration in the system but neither am I party to that nor did I take an action over that. But not withstanding all these issues nobody has benefited nobody is aggrieved that us the evidence before the court.

CNN IBN: : If not you, who is to be blamed for the scam or else u say there was no loss at all?

A Raja: Where is the scam? I have been charged with 302 as if I murdered x. My charge is x is alive, I will bring c before the court.

CNN IBN: : You say you had kept PMO and the PM in the know but the PM has denied. What do you have to say?

A Raja: When did he deny? Please give me the statement.

CNN IBN: : Jaya has attacked you saying you are saying there is no evidence but you did not deny the charges

A Raja: When I am denying the charge against me, she says there is a lot of evidence. When I am saying there is no evidence, she says I am not denying the charges. Denying the charges always go together with evidence. If at all you are denying the charges, the evidence is the other way then you cannot repudiate your charges. So in any case evidence is very important. Right from the beginning I am denying the charge. In support of my denial of charge, evidence came in my favour to substantiate my denial. But what about the Jayalalithaa case? I think she is the only political leader who denied her own signature in the court of law. She is facing a trial for 18 years and she is dilly dallying from this court to that court and she is filing frequent petitions before the Supreme Court and High Court. I never asked for a single adjournment. I will not ask for a single adjournment even during the campaign. I am going in April, I will not ask for an adjournment. So she has no moral and legal right to comment on me. I want to prove my innocence and prove the case is something different and it is non-est

CNN IBN: : The trial is on though you are not yet convicted. Would it not be better if you went for elections after the trial was over?

A Raja: Why should I? I have confidence when the prosecution had closed its evidence. As per the evidence I am confident I will get justice from the trial court. That is why I am contesting the elections to remove the political stigma in the public life.

CNN IBN: : what about AAP fielding candidates against you and Dayanidhi Maran?

A Raja: This is a democracy. Anybody can contest. You have a right to contest.

CNN IBN: : What about the Modi wave in Tamil Nadu?

A Raja: There is no wave in Tamil Nadu. Only a Dmk wave. Anti-jayalalithaa wave is there.

CNN IBN: : Tamil Nadu will be facing a Multi-corner fight for the first time in several years, how do you think the DMK will do?

A Raja: We will have a substantial number of seats in the Lok Sabha. Anti-popular government is in the state. Secular forces must have a seat in the centre. This is the main agenda. Definitely we will have substantial number of seats in the state.

 

[argadorn]

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