Govt, Karuna back Raja

Govt, Karuna back Raja
PTI
CHENNAI/NEW DELHI, NOV 12
Unfazed by the political storm over 2G spectrum allocation, the government and DMK chief M Karunanidhi today came out in support of embattled Telecom Minister A Raja who defiantly ruled out his resignation.
As Congress remained in a fix over dealing with the issue in the face of growing clamour for Raja’s removal from the Union Cabinet, Karunanidhi insisted that the Telecom Minister had done no wrong and there was no question of his quitting.
“He (Raja) is not a criminal. We are not guilty. He just went by the procedures set by his predecessors Pramod Mahajan and Arun Shourie of the previous NDA Government. What is wrong in that? They came up with ‘first come, first served’ policy,” the DMK chief told reporters in Chennai.
The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, while defending his party colleague, said, “When he has followed the rules, how can you say Raja flouted the rules?”
Karunanidhi was responding when asked about CAG faulting Raja for alleged irregularities in the 2G spectrum allocation.     
To a question, the DMK chief said there was no need for him to talk to the Congress over the issue.
Law Minister M Veerappa Moily also came out in Raja’s defence, saying the report of Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on 2G spectrum allocation cannot be termed as an “indictment” as it was not final.
“You cannot call it an indictment. It is not a final report. Technically, no one can call it indictment,” Moily told PTI here, adding he does not remember any minister stepping down following a CAG report.
Earlier, Raja ruled out resignation saying he will prove that everything has been done according to the law.
“The question does not arise at all. We will prove that everything has been done according to the law,” he said.
“Where does that question arise from? It doesn’t arise at all,” the combative minister said when pressed whether he would step down in the wake of the mounting attack from the opposition, including BJP and AIADMK.
DMK MP and Karunanidhi’s daughter Kanimozhi denied any pressure from Congress on her party for Raja’s resignation and insisted that “there is complete understanding” between the two parties.
The BJP maintained its demand for Raja’s immediate dismissal with its spokesperson Prakash Javadekar asking why Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was silent on the issue. CPI (M) chief Prakash Karat and CPI leader D Raja also echoed BJP’s demands.
The Congress, which is in a fix, sought to take refuge under the matter being “sub-judice”.  Also, the CAG report is still to be laid on the table of the House,” party spokesman Shakeel Ahmed said.