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NEW DELHI: Former comptroller and auditor general Vinod Rai has said former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh knew about the 2G scam, which according to a CAG report had cost the exchequer Rs 1.76 lakh crore. Talking to Times Now's Arnab Goswami, Rai, busting Singh's claim that he didn't know about the scam said, Singh had knowingly disregarded the-then commerce and industry minister Kamal Nath's warning on the issue and allowed it to take place.
'Manmohan knew all about 2G scam'
Rai said: "All matters of importance go to the Prime Minister. And ultimately the buck stops on the Prime Minister's desk. In this particular case I found that minister of his own council who were writing to him again and again, saying that problems are, or there is talk about developments in the telecom sector, I quoted Mr Kamal Nath who is was the commerce industries minister, writing to the Prime Minister and expressing concerns about the development in the sector. I have written about the finance ministry expressing concerns, I have written about the law ministry expressing concerns. Now, all these things went to the Prime Minister."
Rai also said that if Singh had wanted he could have stopped A Raja from going ahead with the 2G spectrum allocations.
Read the full text of the interview here.
Replying to a question on whether Rai thought if Singh could have prevent the scam, he said, "All matters of importance go to the Prime Minister. And ultimately the buck stops on the Prime Minister's desk. In this particular case I found that minister of his own council who were writing to him again and again, saying that problems are, or there is talk about developments in the telecom sector, I quoted Mr Kamal Nath who is was the commerce industries minister, writing to the Prime Minister and expressing concerns about the development in the sector."
"I have written about the finance ministry expressing concerns, I have written about the law ministry expressing concerns. Now, all these things went to the Prime Minister," he added.
'Manmohan ignored Pranab'
Rai also said that the former PM also knew about the scam in the coal block allocations that later came to be known as Coalgate. The CAG had estimated that the exchequer had lost Rs 1.86 lakh crore rupees due to the coal scam.
Rai said the-then finance minister Pranab Mukherjee and he had jointly cautioned Singh on Coalgate. Despite the warning, Singh chose not to do anything.
He said, "... I must say to the credit of then finance minister Mr Pranab Mukherjee that 2-3 issues that I brought to his notice, he immediately took them up. Another issue notice that I brought to his notice was the amendments which the audit tax need to be taken & he acted upon it immediately."
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Rai also said, "... there were evidently people in government and outside the government who did not want change in the (coal block allocations) process ... it was very cosy for them to continue with the ongoing process.
'Manmohan let Kalmadi control CWG 2010'
On being asked about Suresh Kalmadi's involvement in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, Rai said, instead of mandating a minister with the responsibility of hosting the games, the government trotted the idea of giving the charge of the games to the Indian Olympic Association. The IOA was then headed by Congress MP Suresh Kalmadi.
A Raja, former telecom minister and one of the prime accused in the 2G scam. (TOI file photo)
He said, "(The sports ministry had no role in hosting and managing the Commonwealth Games) ... in fact the former, the-then sports minster late Sunil Dutt wrote very strongly against it also (to the Prime Minister)."
"... After that letter was received, I don't think any action was taken on it," he added.
'Praful Patel forced a debt-ridden Air India to buy more planes'
Vinod Rai also said NCP's Praful Patel, who was the civil aviation ministry, ordered the ailing Air India to buy 68 planes and not 28 as was originally approved. In order to to this, Patel gave a long-term perspective as an excuse.
Former coal minister Sriprakash Jaiswal. (TOI file photo)
This meant Air India had to spend $5 billion more than planned as it had to by 40 extra aircraft.
He said, "... it (the cost of purchasing the planes) went up from about 1000 million dollars to about 6000 million dollars ... that's the way it went. And we found it strange because these proposals are always examined in the finance ministry and the finance ministry was not convinced about it but the finance ministry wrote that this is a supply side, supply driven proposal. Which means just because you have bought more aircraft doesn't mean that Air India is going to come out of the red but more damaging part of it was, 97 per cent of this purchase amount was going to be debt. I don't think any airline can survive by such a huge debt."
Suresh Kalmadi, former Congress MP and prime accused in 2010 Commonwealth Games scam. (TOI file photo)
Congress reacts, BJP finds merit
The Congress reacted sharply on Vinod Rai's allegations. Former Congress MP Sanjay Nirupam said, "Vinod Rai is lying, I have never met him outside the PAC meeting." Reacting to Vinod Rai's allegations, former foreign minister and Congerss leader Salman Khurshid said, "Don't accept sweeping statements made on scams."
Former I&B minister Manish Tewari challenged Rai to a debate.
Former civil aviation minister Praful Patel. (TOI file photo)
The BJP on the other hand found merit in what Vinod Rai revealed during the interview. Party spokesman Siddharth Nath Singh said, "It is quite possible what Vinod Rai is saying has merit."
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