Rahul Gandhi and Manmohan Singh talk to Kanimozhi after 2G scam verdict clears all the accused
New Delhi, Dec 21 (IBNS) : Congress President Rahul Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday spoke to DMK MP Kanimozhi over the phone after she, along with A Raja and 17 others, was acquitted in the 2G spectrum scam case, media reports said.
According to CNN-News 18, Kanimozhi told Singh that she would seek an appointment with him, while the ex-PM asked her to convey his regards to her half-brother and DMK working president MK Stalin.
DMK is a key constituent of the Congress-led UPA. Singh and the Congress was subjected to a scathing criticism during the second tenure of the UPA for not snapping ties with the southern ally following the CAG report on 2G scam. .
. In the 1,552-page order on Thursday, special CBI judge OP Saini acquitted all the accused, saying the “quality of prosecution totally deteriorated and it became directionless and diffident”.
Elated by the verdict, the DMK and the Congress said the entire case was a “massive conspiracy” and “propaganda”.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said the acquittal of all the accused in 2G scam case proved the massive propaganda against the UPA government, which was charged with being involved in corruption, had no foundation.
"Truth has prevailed" Singh told media.
Reacting to the verdict, former Union Finance Minister and Congress leader, P. Chidambaram said: "Allegations of scam against the highest level of government (Congress government) was never true and correct."
Former UPA ministers Kapil Sibal, Manish Tewari and Veerappa Moily demanded that former CAG Vinod Rai — who had pegged the loss to the exchequer at Rs 1.76 lakh crore —be held accountable.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, however, said the Congress shouldn’t treat the verdict as a “badge of honour”.
BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, a private complainant in the case, wanted the Government to appeal against the acquittals in High Court.
The trial had started in 2011. All licenses of Raja were cancelled earlier by the Supreme Court.
Raja was accused of allocating airwaves and licenses for cellphone networks in exchange of kickbacks leading to an alleged loss of Rs. 1.76 lakh crore.
He was also accused to have been the mastermind in the scam.
One of the lawyers of the accused told NDTV: "I have no hesitation in saying that the prosecution miserably failed to prove the case to the judge."
After the verdict, one of the accused Kanimozhi said: "Justice prevailed. Thanks to everyone who stood by me."
The 2G scam was one of the biggest allegations of corruption against the UPA government which then opposition BJP used as political weapon.
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