Congress to meet over 2G issue soon; Expected to take corrective steps
The Congress is expected to take corrective steps on the “developments” in the Union Cabinet in the coming days.
The current mood in the party is that the high command should not make an appeal for unity as it may not send out a wrong message about gravity of differences between the top Union ministers.
According to the insiders, party chief Sonia Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union ministers Pranab Mukherjee and P. Chidambaram could meet to discuss the spectrum allocation issue and a controversial note sent by the finance ministry to the PMO in the coming days.
Mrs Gandhi has started meeting the party leaders, including Union ministers and the chief ministers, since the last few days and is getting feedback of the ground reality. They include Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy and PCC president Ramesh Chennithala.
The handling of Telangana, Anna Hazare and the spectrum allocation by the government managers has sent some wrong message to the people, insiders viewed.
It has strained relations between the Congress and its ally DMK. It has also alienated the civil society, middle-class and the floating population getting affected by corruption in lower-level corruption.
Congress hits back at BJP
Meanwhile, seeking to turn the tables on the BJP which has demanded home minister P. Chidambaram’s resignation in the wake of fresh controversy on the 2G issue, the Congress on Friday questioned the decisions taken by the erstwhile NDA government despite “serious objections” being raised by its communications minister.
“For every question the BJP raises, we can raise two. Notwithstanding serious objections raised by a former communications minister of NDA, why it is that the migration was permitted, why was the spirit of national telecom policy violated.... why would the entry level for new players be the same.... why was the spectrum not auctioned separately?” party spokesperson Manish Tewari told reporters.
Alleging that the BJP wanted to fish in troubled waters, he said they are up to “mission trouble” and “seeing and then slaying phantoms where none exist”.
Maintaining that the matter is being looked into by the JPC as well as the courts, he said, “It is important not to jump the gun.”
The BJP has asked PM to clarify his stand on the alleged role of Mr Chidambaram in 2G spectrum case and wondered if the latter is not being sacked as PMO fears the “embers of the fire” may reach it.
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