Vinod Rai must apologise to the entire nation: Ajay Maken

Ajay Maken who addressed a press conference in Mumbai on Tuesday said that Vinod Rai should tender an apology to the entire nation for his sham report on 2G spectrum, which highlighted a presumptive loss of ₹1.76 lakh crore

Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Ajay Maken on Tuesday demanded an apology by former Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Vinod Rai for his false report on 2G allotment and questioned Anna Hazare, Kiran Bedi and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal for their silence on the poor implementation of the Lokpal, for which they led the nationwide protest in 2013.

Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Ajay Maken on Tuesday demanded an apology by former Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Vinod Rai for his false report on 2G allotment . (ANI)

Maken who addressed a press conference in Mumbai on Tuesday said that Vinod Rai should tender an apology to the entire nation for his sham report on 2G spectrum, which highlighted a presumptive loss of ₹1.76 lakh crore. “The report was a figment of imagination. The then principal 2G spectrum auditor RP Singh had told the joint parliamentary committee that no loss has been caused to the exchequer. The special judge in December 2017 had said that the prosecution (Central Bureau of Investigation) miserably failed to prove any charge against any of the accused. Rai has tendered an unconditional apology to Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam for his false statement, but he should apologise to the nation for his falsehood,” he said.

Maken said why the self-proclaimed crusaders against corruption are silent on the poor state of Lokpal. “Baba Ramdev, Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi participated in the protest under the leadership of Anna Hazare pressing for the Lokpal Bill, which was passed in 2014. However, the Lokpal came into existence only in March 2019. Until today, the director of prosecution or director of inquiry has not been appointed under it. The Lokpal cannot work unless these posts are filled. Lokpal received 1,427 complaints in 2019 and 110 in 2020 and just 30 this year. This means the Lokpal has become dysfunctional. The question here is why the people who were fighting for it are silent now,” he said.