“Raja has been made scapegoat, says dissent note

Saying that its MP and former Communications Minister A. Raja was made a scapegoat, the DMK, a former ally of the Congress, has alleged that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is equally guilty in the 2G spectrum allocation episode. The Prime Minister was fully aware of the functioning of 2G spectrum licensing system, it said.

Presenting his dissent note to Joint Parliamentary Committee Chairman P.C. Chacko (of the Congress), DMK member T.R. Baalu termed ‘political’ the JPC report that was approved on September 27 on a voting pattern of 16:11.

The JPC, in its report, did not appreciate the facts available in records. Instead, “ ... facts have been chosen selectively and conveniently to reach a pre-conceived conclusion. The report appears to be to find a convenient scapegoat, rather than openly and fairly address the factual and legal position. It is evident that this was also the reason why the Chairman refused to permit Mr. Raja to depose before the Committee. The JPC has therefore not proceeded in the manner it was required to.”

The Chairman’s refusal to permit Mr. Raja to depose was “simply inexplicable,” the dissent note said.

Almost all other Opposition parties including the BJP, the CPI, the CPI(M) and the AIADMK have also presented their dissent notes. The JD(U) did not participate in the voting during the adoption of the report.