Former Telecom Minister A Raja's investment in shares and fixed deposits have increased by nearly 170 per cent from Rs 8.52 lakh to a little over Rs 23 lakh during one year.
Former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran may be 'examined' soon by the Central Bureau of Investigation in connection with his alleged role in coercing former Aircel Chief C Sivasankaran to sell his stake to a Malaysia-based group.
The Supreme Court on Friday slammed CBI for its "slipshod" investigations into the 2G spectrum allocation scam, in which the alleged role of Telecom Minister A Raja has come under the scanner, saying "the same minister is still continuing today".
Official data released on Friday showed the economy grew by 5.5 per cent in the first quarter of the current fiscal as against 8 per cent during the same period of previous fiscal.
Hitting back at Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal for accusing Bharatiya Janata Party of killing democracy, senior party leader Yashwant Sinha has said that the country's main opposition party has saved nation's democracy.
The government will in next three weeks decide on pricing of spectrum that will be sold in the second round of auction beginning March 11, Telecom Minister Kabil Sibal said on Tuesday.
The government on Thursday warned telecom service providers of action if they failed to pass on the benefit of withdrawal of levy to consumers.
The Supreme Court on Friday severely criticised Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal for making statements undermining the Comptroller and Auditor General of India's report on the 2G spectrum scam and asked him to behave with some sense of responsibility.
RCom and Tata Teleservices are the top net losers of subscribers under mobile number portability (MNP) services.
A Delhi court on Saturday started recording the statement of Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy, who is seeking the prosecution of Home Minister P Chidambaram in the 2G case. Swamy had sought the court's permission to examine witnesses, including senior Central Bureau of Investigation officials, to establish erstwhile finance minister and present Home Minister P Chidambaram's alleged role in the 2G spectrum allocation.
A well-known amateur radio operator, Dayanidhi Maran, has joined a growing list of top politicians and corporate honchos to be felled by the 2G spectrum scam in which DMK was further dealt a body blow with its two leaders already behind bars.
Comptroller and Auditor General Vinod Rai has asked Public Accounts Committee Chairman Murli Manohar Joshi for permission to react to Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal\\'s open attack on him over the 2G report, according to sources.
The general council of the Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam will meet in Chennai on February 3 to discuss and decide the seat arrangements for the upcoming assembly elections with its allies.Karunanidhi announced this decision after rejecting a resignation letter from his son and Fertiliser Minister M K Alagiri from the post of the DMK's organising secretary.Alagiri has sought action against DMK leader A Raja, who had to resign as the telecom minister over the massive 2G scam.
The special CBI court had in March discharged Dayanidhi Maran, his brother Kalanithi.
"Look at the policies of world around, we are far less protectionist than any other country in the world. There is no question of India becoming protectionist," Indian Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal said here on Monday.
When educated ministers like Kapil Sibal and P Chidambaram are forced to defend the indefensible it shows a certain desperation in the top power structures in the ruling UPA, says Virendra Kapoor.
Bharatiya Janata Party leader Arun Jaitley on Wednesday demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for 'failing to take action' against former telecom minister A Raja for over three years in connection with the spectrum scam. Speaking at the massive rally organised by the NDA, Jaitley ridiculed Dr Singh's offer to appear before the PAC. "The PAC has a limited role. It can only go into the statistics and report of the CAG," he said.
The Central Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday carried out raids at 27 places in Tamil Nadu and seven places in Delhi in connection with its probe in the 2G spectrum scam.The CBI also raided the residence of former chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Pradip Baijal in connection with the scam. CBI sleuths also raided the residence of corporate lobbyist Nira Radia in connection with the probe in 2G spectrum allocation scam.
Former telecom minister A Raja and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MP Kanimozhi, facing trial in the 2G spectrum case, were on Wednesday exempted by a Delhi court from appearing before it on Thursday to cast their votes in the Presidential polls.
Seeking to corner the government, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday said it was "seriously" examining the possibility of bringing a privilege motion against Union Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal for announcing a probe into the 2G Spectrum allocation from 2001 at a time when Parliament was in session.
Former telecom minister A Raja on Tuesday claimed in a Delhi court that CBI investigating officer in the 2G spectrum scam had not fairly investigated the case and had "intimidated" certain witnesses to depose as per the agency's wishes.
The Enforcement Directorate has questioned former telecom minister A Raja in connection with its money laundering probe in the 2G spectrum case. This is the first time that the ED has questioned Raja in the case.
Former telecom minister A Raja, the main accused in the 2G scam, was not allowed to appear before the Joint Parliamentary Committee that is looking into the alleged mishandling in the allocation of 2G spectrum.
Former telecom minister A Raja on Monday wrote a strongly-worded letter to Joint Parliamentary Committee Chairman P C Chacko, slamming the draft report of the committee on the 2G scam.
The court dismissed the plea of Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy seeking its direction to the prime minister to decide on granting sanction against his Cabinet colleague Raja on a complaint pending before the PMO for the last two years.
Targeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday said he has remained silent for three years on the 2G spectrum scam to "save his chair" and asked who is the "godfather" of A Raja as the former Telecom Minister alone is not responsible for decisions cleared by the Union cabinet.
The Congress and the central government heaved a sigh of relief on Tuesday with the Supreme Court holding that the prime minister was not obliged to sanction any permission to Dr Subramanian Swamy for prosecuting Telecom Minister A Raja, who has since resigned, in the 2G spectrum scam.
It is pertinent to mention that the ministry of defence had agreed to vacate the spectrum only during middle of this year.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani on Wednesday demanded that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should immediately respond to the Supreme Court's observation on the delay in the prosecution of former telecom minister A Raja in the 2G spectrum allocation issue. "The PM should immediately respond to what the Supreme Court has said on Raja issue," Advani said. He said, "We are demanding a probe by a joint parliamentary committee into the issue in Parliament."
Mishra, a 1967 batch Indian Administrative Service officer from the Uttar Pradesh cadre, has served in various administrative field positions.
The Opposition, which had been gunning for the removal Telecom Minister A Raja over the 2G Spectrum scam, said his resignation vindicated their position but refused to give up on the issue as they demanded filing of a case against him to unearth the truth.
Sources said the decision was taken after the top Congress leadership met in Delhi on Sunday to discuss the issue anticipating uproar in Parliament on Monday by the opposition, which has been demanding Telecom Minister A Raja's removal.
Undeterred by the mounting opposition attack on his role in 2G spectrum allocation, Telecom Minister A Raja on Friday ruled out resignation over the issue, saying he will prove that everything has been done according to the law.
Both sides remained tigh-lipped about the meeting between Sibal and White House cybersecurity coordinator Howard Schmidt, Christopher Painter as Coordinator for Cyber Issues and Bruce Mcconnell Senior Coordinator for Department Under Secretary Homeland.
The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has bluntly told the government there is no reason for its members to roll out 5G networks as they will be unviable if 'captive private wireless networks' are allowed to be run by enterprises. The COAI, which has Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea as its key members, has written to Communications Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw saying there is 'no business case for the roll out of 5G networks'. Permitting such captive networks will 'diminish the revenue so much that there will be no viable business case left for the telecom service providers and there will not remain any need for 5G network roll out by telecom service providers (TSPs)'.
Emphasising on the need for self-regulation on sharing information on the Internet, Sibal said that media needs to realise its role in sharing news, which should 'empower' people and not cause 'disruption'.
In an exclusive interview with Rediff.com's Sheela Bhatt, BJP MP Harin Pathak, a member of the Joint Parliamentary Committee probing the 2G scam, says without mincing words that panel chief P C Chacko cannot decide exclusively whether to summon prime accused former Union Telecom Minister A Raja or not.
Former Union Telecom Minister A Raja has rejected Joint Parliamentary Committee chairman P C Chacko's offer giving him a chance to respond on the 2G spectrum allocation issue in written submissions, saying he wants to personally depose before the panel to tender evidence on the matter.
The government has called for an open dialogue with the social media firms and asked for opinions on how social media and e-governance can empower individuals and citizens of this country, Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal said after meeting representatives of these firms.
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