Senior BJP leader L K Advani on Sunday alleged elaborate attempts at a cover-up in 2G scam and demanded "serious investigation" to ascertain the role of the then finance minister P Chidambaram in spectrum allocations.
Currently on a Jan Chetna Yatra against corruption, Advani also questioned Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's integrity and leadership alleging that his government had "no capacity left to respond to" multi-crore scams that took place "under his nose and, from all accounts in his knowledge".
His comments came in the wake of a Delhi court framing charges yesterday against all the 17 accused in the 2G scam including former telecom minister A Raja, DMK MP Kanimozhi and corporate honchos.
"While the framing of charges of fraud against a former minister, several officials, an MP and functionaries of companies that allegedly benefitted from the scam is welcome, I believe the probe has left some important facets out of its ambit," Advani said in a statement here.
"Despite elaborate attempts at a cover-up, the role of former finance minister and incumbent home minister, P Chidambaram, clearly merits serious investigation," he said.
{{/usCountry}}"Despite elaborate attempts at a cover-up, the role of former finance minister and incumbent home minister, P Chidambaram, clearly merits serious investigation," he said.
{{/usCountry}}The BJP leader said what prompted the Finance Ministry to change its stated position on auctioning scarce spectrum "remains an abiding mystery."
"Why did Chidambaram concur with A Raja's decision to allot spectrum in 2008 at 2001 prices, days after giving an opinion to the contrary?," he asked.
"I demand that the Supreme Court-directed investigation into the 2G Spectrum scam must be extended to probing his role and that of officials of the Finance Ministry of the time," Advani said.