BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on Saturday submitted the JPC report on spectrum scam in the 2G Special Court seeking the summoning of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P Chidambaram as witnesses. Arguing before Special Judge OP Saini, the 2G crusader said according to former Telecom Minister A Raja’s letter to the JPC, the accused Minister had consulted both the PM and the FM regarding the controversial 2G spectrum allocation in 2008.
Swamy also sought summoning of the then Finance Secretary D Subbarao and other former Finance Ministry officials Sindhushree Khullar and Shyamala Shukla as witnesses. Arguing before the judge, the petitioner said he had already collected several materials to prove the role of Manmohan Singh and Chidambaram in allowing Raja to allot spectrum and telecom licences in dubious ways. He also sought summoning of Raja’s letter to JPC, which reveals the role of the duo in the process.
However, the court denied Swamy’s petition to get access to the questions framed by the court to Raja and other 16 accused. On Thursday, the court had sought 1,718 questions to the accused after the completion of the trial by CBI’s prosecutors. Though Swamy argued that the question would help him to get more details about the 2G Scam, Judge Saini said the matter was between the accused and the court and others have no locus standi.
He alleged CBI had diluted the witness list to provide escape route to Manmohan Singh and Chidambaram. Raja’s letter to JPC can’t be ignored by this court, said Swamy. As Swamy sought more time to produce some more documents, the Judge adjourned the case to April 5. But Swamy sought more time citing his “busy political works during election season.”He told Judge that next hearing may be scheduled after election season.
“I will be in Gujarat on April first week in connection with election campaign. Many things will change after the elections and I may a have more access to so many documents and information in next Government. I can unearth more information on the 2G scam,” said Swamy. Hearing Swamy’s argument mixing political situations, Judge said: “Then let us adjourn the matter sine die.”