Sonia, PM Enforce Peace
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
New Delhi: Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Thursday leaned on finance minister Pranab Mukherjee and home minister P Chidambaram to patch up over a blame game on spectrum pricing, sealing an open rift right at the top in the government.
After meetings with Sonia and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the two senior ministers appeared together before the media to declare truce, with the finance minister publicly disowning the suggestion in the March 25, 2011 note of the finance ministry that Chidambaram as finance minister in UPA-1 could have stopped A Raja’s controversial decision not to auction 2G spectrum.
Saying that the note was actually a factual backgrounder prepared by officers belonging to different ministries, Mukherjee said, “Apart from the factual background, the paper contains certain interferences and interpretations which do not reflect my views”.
Chidambaram, who had said that the finance ministry’s note was unfair to him and had insisted on redressal, “accepted” the clarification from Mukherjee. “I am happy about the statement made by my senior and distinguished colleague, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee. I accept his statement. As far as all of us in the government are concerned, the matter is closed,” he said.
The stage for the joint briefing was set after an hour-long meeting between Mukherjee and Sonia, who has been concerned over the festering feud. According to sources, Mukherjee refused to take responsibility for either the contents or the “leak” of the March 25 note, but finally agreed to walk the extra mile to defuse tensions.
The Congress president also had a meeting with Chidambaram who, according to sources, was getting impatient with the delay in a statement from the finance minister clarifying that he (Chidambaram) wasn’t complicit in Raja’s move to give away spectrum at 2G prices.
Mukherjee’s statement reflected the government’s anxiety to nip the controversy, whereas Chidambaram’s response left little room for doubt that, contrary to assertions from the government and the Congress, he did indeed feel he had been wronged.
The two senior ministers met the Prime Minister after his return from Sikkim before they turned up before the media in front of North Block (which houses both finance and home ministries). Two other ministers, telecom minister Kapil Sibal and law minister Salman Khurshid, who participated in the deliberations at the PM’s official residence, were also present at the joint appearance – an indication that Mukherjee’s statement may have been vetted because of the proceedings in the Supreme Court.
While this signals a cessation of hostilities, it is unclear how long the peace will hold as friction between the two top ministers has grown and both sides are said to be feeling slighted.
END OF THE ARGUMENT?
Apart from the
factual background, the paper contains certain inferences and interpretations which do not reflect my views. The policy of the govt in 2007-2008 was continuation of the policy adopted in October 2003 and as reiterated by Trai
Statement read out by Pranab Mukherjee
I accept his statement. As far as all of us in the govt are concerned, the matter is closed P Chidambaram | HOME MINISTER
The FinMin Note
DoT could have invoked
this clause (5.1 of the UAS license) for cancelling licences in case MoF (finance ministry) had stuck to the stand of auctioning the 4.4 MHz spectrum” This is not an internal matter between ministers or settlement of bruised egos. It concerns loot of
public revenue
Ravi Shankar Prasad | BJP Govt to put up strong defence of PC in SC
With the note, signed by a junior finance ministry official, stating that it was “seen” by Mukherjee, speculation of factional score-settling has spiraled.
Law minister Khursheed indicated earlier that prickly egos and differences over interpretation of the note had been sorted out when he borrowed a Bollywood line to say “all is well” to the media camped outside Chidambaram’s office after he and minister of state in PMO V Narayanaswamy met the home minister for about 40 minutes.
Although the meeting was described as a “chat”, it did prepare the ground for the home minister accepting Mukherjee’s explanation of Chidambaram’s role. This was clearly the nub of the issue rather than whether the note was a summation of 2G events and an effort of more than one ministry.
While Mukherjee disowned the offending lines, it is still not clear how they were penned and on whose authorization. As the note is signed by a finance official, their origin would be seen to lie in the ministry. Sources said that government has decided to take a strong stand in the Supreme Court on the issue, and will forcefully argue that judiciary cannot question the prerogative of the government to frame policies.
The March 25 note was used by 2G litigant Subramanian Swamy to argue in the SC that Chidambaram was complicit in going along with jailed ex-telecom minister A Raja in selling licenses in 2008 at 2001values. As the dust settles for the moment over the face-off, BJP was quick to reject Mukherjee’s statement. “This is not an in-house affair, it is not for ministers to give one another clean chits. It is clear that the government was well aware that Raja’s actions were suspect and it still went along,” said BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad.
The view in the Congress is that it would be unfair to pin the 2G pricing on Chidambaram’s lapel as he was not the last word in the matter.
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