Posts tagged 2G Spectrum
2G: Kanimozhi fights the battle on her own
Nov 25th
New Delhi: A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court is slated to deliver its order on the bail plea of DMK Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi, who has spent five months in jail in connection with the 2G spectrum allocation scam.
The court is also likely to decide on the bail applications of four other 2G accused.
What has the jail term meant for Kanimozhi and the DMK?
“I am not a soft target,” this was the last statement of Kanimozhi before she was sent to judicial custody in the 2G scam on May 20. Since then, her focus has been getting bail, but the courts did not entertain her plea till the framing of the charges.
That meant that she had to spend the last five months including a Diwali in prison. Her father, DMK chief M Karunanidhi, made two trips to Delhi to meet her. In the second one just ahead of Diwali, he met his ally Sonia Gandhi for the first time since Kanimozhi’s arrest, resulting in speculation that it was his last ditch effort to get bail for his daughter.
However, all hopes of returning to Chennai with his daughter for Diwali were quashed when the court reserved its order for November 3, despite the CBI not opposing Kanimozhi’s bail plea.
“Kanimozhi is determined. Even if she is looking weak, she is very confident,” Karunanidhi had said.
But except the DMK chief, others within Karunanidhi’s family, observers say, have not backed Kanimozhi. Elder brother and Union minister Azhagiri is seen as being against her and M K stalin has been indifferent.
Senior party leaders hope that bail for Kanimozhi could pave the way for the DMK retaking the Cabinet berths vacated by the resignation of A Raja and Dayanidhi Maran. However, they concede that for the moment Karunanidhi is not interested in retaking the berths.
Despite the ostensible statements of solidarity from the party, it is clear that Kanimozhi will have to fight the political and legal battle on her own. Her father remains her only source of power and the road ahead remains uncertain.
For the moment, the focus is on whether she will get bail or will she have to endure one more twist from the courts.
Source : http://ibnlive.in.com/news/2g-kanimozhi-fights-the-battle-on-her-own/205558-37-64.html
2G spectrum scam trial begins at Delhi court
Nov 11th
New Delhi: Trial has begun in the 2G spectrum allocation scam case, involving high-profile accused like former Telecom Minister A Raja, DMK MP Kanimozhi, top corporate honchos and telecom firms. All eyes are on Patiala House, where the special CBI court is hearing the case.
Some numbers first. It has been billed as the biggest scam in the country’s history – the loss to the national exchequer has been pegged by the government’s auditor at a mind-numbing Rs. 1.76 lakh crore. There are 17 accused in the dock, 14 of these individuals and three telecom companies. Trial is beginning seven months after the first chargesheet was filed; the case, being monitored by the Supreme Court, has been fast-tracked and the special CBI court has been hearing it on a day-to-day basis.
The CBI has produced a list of over 150 witnesses it wants to examine, among them former corporate lobbyist Niira Radia and Attorney General G E Vahanvati. The investigating agency has said it first wants to examine 28 witnesses in November, including senior employees of the Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG) and Etisalat D B, formerly known as Swan Telecom. The agency is expected to question witnesses on the shareholding patterns of the companies as well as matters like bank account details, minutes of crucial meetings and decisions made.
Today, on the first day of the trial, three prosecution witnesses are expected to be examined – A N Sethuraman, Group President, Reliance ADAG, Anand Subramanium, Assistant Vice President, Reliance Capital Limited and
Vinod Kumar Buddhiraja, Chief Regulatory Officer, Etisalat D B (formerly Swan Telecom).
Spotlight on Raja, Kanimozhi
All the 14 individuals charged in the case have now spent six months or more in jail. Court after court has turned down bail pleas. Mr Raja has been in jail since February. Telecom executives like Sanjay Chandra of Unitech Wireless and Gautam Doshi, Hari Nair and Surendra Pipara of Reliance Telecom were imprisoned in April. Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi, who is the daughter of DMK chief M Karunanidhi, was arrested in May.
They will stand trial for criminal breach of trust – a charge that carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. A Delhi court headed by Judge OP Saini had on October 22 accepted all the charges levelled by the CBI against the 14 individuals and three companies – Reliance Telecom, Unitech Wireless and Swan Telecom – listed as principal players in the 2G scam. The CBI’s charges against them range from criminal conspiracy to forgery and cheating.
But the most serious charges in the case, controversially introduced by the CBI just a few weeks ago, are criminal breach of trust by a public servant for Mr Raja and Siddharth Behura, who was Telecom Secretary, and criminal conspiracy to cause criminal breach of trust by a public servant for the 12 others. The maximum sentence for these charges is life imprisonment.
As the trial begins, the spotlight will remain relentlessly on Mr Raja and Kanimozhi, the daughter of heavyweight Southern politician M Karunanidhi who heads the DMK, a major partner in the UPA coalition at the Centre. The arrest of his favourite child has tested the collaboration between the Congress and his party, though both sides have on record reiterated that their partnership is steady.
Expressing concern over the continued incarceration of his daughter Kanimozhi, Mr Karunanidhi yesterday said if courts “hesitated” to provide legal rights, it could cast a question mark on the country’s democracy. “If courts, one of the pillars of Indian democracy, hesitated to provide legal rights and protect the basics of the law, a question will rise in everybody’s mind where Indian democracy is going and about its future,” he wrote in his party’s mouthpiece Murasoli.
The 2G scam
Because the charges are framed now, the 14 people accused may have a better shot at leaving jail. All of them except Mr Raja have already applied for bail. The CBI, which had opposed two petitions by Ms Kanimozhi for bail in the past few months, did not fight her latest request. However, that was turned down by special judge OP Saini on November 3. The Rajya Sabha MP has now appealed against that verdict in the Delhi High Court. That plea is likely to be heard on December 1.
Apart from A Raja and Kanimozhi, the other 12 individuals accused in the case are former Telecom Secretary Siddharth Behura; former personal secretary to A Raja RK Chandolia; Group MD, Reliance- ADAG, Gautam Doshi; Senior Vice President, Reliance- ADAG, Surendra Pipara; Senior Vice President, Reliance- ADAG, Hari Nair; Former MD, Unitech Wireless Sanjay Chandra; Promoter of DB Realty and Swan Telecom Shahid Balwa, Promoter and MD, DB Realty and Swan Telecom Vinod Goenka; MD, Kalaignar TV Sharath Kumar; Director, Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Rajeev Agarwal; Director, Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Asif Balwa and the Promoter of Cineyug Films Karim Morani. The three companies standing trial are Reliance Telecommunication, Unitech Wireless Pvt Ltd (Tamil Nadu) and Swan Telecom.
The telecom scam was webbed, according to the CBI, in 2008 by Mr Raja when he was Telecom Minister. He ignored advice, including from the Prime Minister, to auction second-generation or 2G spectrum. Instead, he allotted licences and accompanying second-generation or 2G spectrum on a first-come-first-serve basis that were twisted to help companies Mr Raja allegedly conspired with. The minister set a deadline for filing applications in September 2008; in January 2010, he made a last-minute announcement that licences would be given to those who filed their “Letters of Intent” first. The deadline for filing these documents and cheques was within hours of Mr Raja’s revision of rules. A few companies like Swan and Unitech were ready with their cheques – the CBI believes they had been tipped off by the minister. And amid a fair amount of chaos, 122 licences were issued to nine companies at a cost of Rs. 1600 crores each.
Swan Telecom allegedly repaid Mr Raja with a 214-crore cheque routed through a maze of companies to Kalaignar TV, a local channel in Chennai. Kanimozhi and her stepmother own 80 per cent of the channel. Kanimozhi’s lawyers have said the money was a loan which was returned with interest, and that she was not involved with the daily management of the company. The CBI has contested this, describing her as “the active brain” behind Kalaignar. The agency has said it has uncovered the money trail for this bribe.
Mr Raja, like the others accused, has rejected all charges against him. In his defence, he said that the Prime Minister, and P Chidambaram who was Finance Minister at the time, were kept informed of his plan of action. If they disagreed with his guidelines, he has challenged, they could have over-ruled him. He has also threatened to call the PM as a witness.
The CBI’s case
The telecom scam hurtled the government into crisis mode, when the government’s auditor declared the scam had cost India Rs. 1.76 lakh crores, forcing a reluctant Mr Raja to resign as Telecom Minister. The CBI has said it believes the losses are in the range of Rs. 30,000 crores. The government’s regulator for telecom policy – TRAI – has said it does not believe there were any losses since it does not believe spectrum should have been auctioned.
Many of the CBI’s heftiest accusations have been contested by the government. For example, the CBI says the three Reliance executives in jail – Gautam Doshi, Surendra Pipara and Hari Nair- set up Swan Telecom as a front for their company to collect more spectrum and licences than were legally permissible. But the Law Ministry has said that after examining the details, Swan cannot technically be considered “an associate” of Reliance.
The CBI alleges both Swan and Unitech Wireless made huge profits by buying their 2G licences cheaply and then selling stake to foreign partners at huge profits. Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal has said that the transactions were legal because “what occurred was dilution of equity and not the sale of equity.”
Like Mr Sibal, who infamously declared in January this year that the telecom scam had not caused any losses to the national exchequer, the government’s regulatory body for telecom- TRAI – has undermined the CBI by stating that it does not believe spectrum should have been auctioned. Any losses calculated, TRAI insists, are prone to error because they are based on presumptive market conditions and prices.
The CBI has also said in court that it has not found any evidence of a kickback from Mr Chandra’s Unitech Wireless to Mr Raja.
Political ramifications
The 2G trial commences at a time when the country is in the mood to hold politicians accountable for the rot that has been backlit by a series of swindles. The net worth of the 2G scam allows it to grab top spot on that list. The anti-corruption movement headed by Gandhian Anna Hazare delivered such massive crowds that the Opposition has quickly scrambled to appropriate the agenda, with LK Advani of the BJP launching a rath yatra to promote “clean governance.”
Mr Raja’s repeated references to the Prime Minister and P Chidambaram have echoed within all Opposition parties who say the PM must take accountability for allowing the telecom scam to play out. A document from the Finance Ministry, prepared this year, caused a political seizure – it said Mr Chidambaram could have enforced an auction of spectrum when he was Finance Minister and Mr Raja was busy mapping out a crooked policy.
The excavation of that document by a Right to Information activist allowed the Opposition to demand with more surety the resignation of Mr Chidambaram, who is now Home Minister. A week after the document was presented in the Supreme Court, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee clarified it was prepared with inputs from different ministries, and that he did not agree with all of its inferences. Various petitioners like Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy have said the Supreme Court should order the CBI to investigate Mr Chidambaram’s role. Though the CBI has said this is not needed, the Supreme Court has yet to indicate its stand.
Manmohan, Chidambaram aware of dilution of shares by Swan, Unitech: Raja
Jul 26th
The former Telecom Minister, A. Raja, told a special CBI court here on Monday that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the former Finance Minister, P. Chidambaram, were aware of the dilution of equity through the foreign direct investment (FDI) route by two companies that were awarded 2G spectrum.
Commencing arguments on the charges levelled against him, Mr. Raja said he had worked in the “public interest” to provide mobile services at cheap rates and was only following the telecom policies established since 2001. He claimed that Mr. Chidambaram, when he was Finance Minister, informed the Prime Minister about foreign companies buying stakes in the two firms. The decision to award 2G licences at entry fees fixed in 2001, instead of going in for an auction was a Cabinet decision, he alleged.
“Etisalat buying a stake in Swan Telecom and Telenor buying a stake in Unitech Wireless was cleared by the Finance Minister in the presence of the Prime Minister. Otherwise, let the Prime Minister deny it,” said Sushil Kumar, counsel for Mr. Raja.
Mr. Kumar said Mr. Chidambaram told the Prime Minister that the “dilution of shares” by the now accused licensees to attract FDI was not illegal and did not amount to “sale of licence,” so Mr. Raja could not be accused of corruption in the spectrum allocation.
On why the pan-India entry fee for 2G licences was not revised from Rs.1,659 crore fixed in 2001, Mr. Raja pointed out that the former Telecom Minister, Arun Shourie, and his successor Dayanidhi Maran had awarded 2G licences at these same rates without going in for an auction. “I have implemented only what I have inherited,” he said. The Cabinet had decided to auction 3G licences while placing no such “obligation” on him to auction 2G licences.
Launching a spirited defence of himself and his fellow accused, Mr. Raja explained the government’s policy to offer tele-services at low rates. “I have done the act in public interest to make mobile services cheap.”
When the court resumed proceedings after lunch, Mr. Kumar took exception to the reporting by news channels that his client had blamed Dr. Singh and Mr. Chidambaram. “I am not shifting the blame to the Prime Minister or the former Finance Minister. I am only defending my conduct in court.”
Mr. Kumar alleged that the CBI was making selective allegations against some persons while leaving out others. He asked why the CBI was not accusing other 2G licensees who sold stakes to foreign players, and other bureaucrats who were in the Telecom Ministry when controversial decisions were taken.
On the charge of criminal conspiracy, Mr. Kumar wondered how Mr. Raja could conspire with Shahid Balwa of Swan Telecom and Sanjay Chandra of Unitech Wireless when the two were “competitors” for spectrum in the same circles.
Counsel also took exception to the court insisting on beginning arguments on charge without completing investigations into the scam. Mr. Raja completed arguments on the criminal conspiracy and cheating charges against him. He is expected to begin arguments on the charges of “forgery” (Section 468 of the IPC) on Tuesday.
Source : http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2292316.ece?homepage=true
2G: BJP demands resignation of Manmohan, Chidambaram
Jul 25th
In the wake of former Telecom Minister A. Raja’s statement in a court that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and then Finance Minister P. Chidambaram were aware of the sale of spectrum equities, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday said it was clear that the 2G spectrum allocation process had the consent of both the ministers and demanded their resignation.
“A. Raja has himself disclosed and admitted in court that the Prime Minister and then Finance Minister were in the know of all this and the entire transaction had their consent and approval. The two must resign forthwith as they have no legal, political and moral authority to remain in office,” BJP president Nitin Gadkari told a press conference in New Delhi.
He said that since Congress president Sonia Gandhi had said there would be no compromise on corruption, his party wants to know her opinion on this “revelation” and what action she intends to take against Dr. Singh and Mr. Chidambaram.
Justifies NDA policy
The BJP president maintained that the NDA government in 2003 took a Cabinet decision that spectrum pricing must be determined by the Telecom Minister by consultation and with the approval of the Finance Ministry with an aim to determine spectrum prices in a fair and objective manner.
“It is now in public domain that against the repeated advice of the officers of the Finance Ministry recommending for the auction of 2G spectrum, Mr. Chidambaram after the grant of license on January 1, 2008, curiously took the position that the matter be treated as closed and the Prime Minister also confirmed this position,” Mr. Gadkari said.
The opposition alleged that even when some of the beneficiaries of the 2G licenses along with spectrum sold a part of their equity to foreign investors for a considerable sum, the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister did not take any corrective measures.
“Inspite of evidence to show that 2G licenses have been given at a throw away price to chosen few, Chidambaram sought to camouflage by giving it the spin of infusion of foreign equity,” Mr. Gadkari said.
‘Biggest scam of independent India’
The BJP reiterated that the magnitude of the scam (Rs 1.76 lakh crore) had been decided by the CAG and not the Opposition.
“This is the biggest scam of independent India. BJP has always maintained that the 2G scam is not about one ministry alone,” Mr. Gadkari said.
The BJP was not impressed with the clarifications given by Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal on Mr. Raja’s comments and the opposition’s demand for resignation of the ministers.
“It is curious that when our national president asked Sonia Gandhi for her response, Congress party asked Sibal to reply. He is the minister who had earlier said that the CAG report is useless and there was zero loss in 2G spectrum allocation,” BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said.
He sought to know why the Prime Minister had stated a week after the CBI inquiry was ordered that Mr. Raja was innocent.
“Why was the cut-off date for applications changed? On January 10, 2008, only 45 minutes were given for submitting applications. Bouncers were placed in Sanchar Bhawan,” Mr. Prasad alleged.
Source : http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2293126.ece
DMK bats for Kanimozhi, ignores Raja
Jul 25th
COIMBATORE: The DMK on Sunday condemned the CBI and accused it of acting in a partisan manner, apparently angered by the continued incarceration of Kanimozhi, daughter of the party president M Karunanidhi and an accused in the 2G scandal.
“Kanimozhi, who holds 20 per cent shares in Kalaignar TV and its managing director Sharad Kumar have been kept in jail for long, against the principles of natural justice,” a resolution passed at the general council read. However, there was no mention of the party’s propaganda secretary and former Union Telecom minister A Raja, who has been in jail for an even longer period.
“Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid, former Law Minister Veerappa Moily, BJP leaders Jaswant Singh and Yashwant Sinha have all voiced their resentment over detaining an accused for a prolonged period without being convicted. Even Justice O P Saini, who is hearing the case, had questioned the CBI’s mindset that an accused should remain in jail even during the prosecution,” the resolution said.
However, in the evening, Karunanidhi claimed that the party had not blamed the CBI as an organisation, but only hit out at officers of the CBI who were functioning with an “ulterior motive.”
Meanwhile, in a string of resolutions, the party criticised the State government for seeking to put on hold the implementation of Uniform School Education system, abolition of Anna Universities of Technology, shifting the Secretariat to Fort St George and stopping the work at the new Secretariat.
In another resolution, the general council demanded that action be taken against those members of political parties who were involved in land grabbing, and also called for restoration of poromboke lands in Siruthavur to the Dalit owners. Party treasurer Stalin urged the functionaries to gear up for a major protest as the DMK men were booked under “false charges” of land grabbing. “We should get into direct action and be prepared for a jail bharo agitation,” he allegedly said.
The DMK urged the Centre to immediately intervene and stop the Kerala’s attempt to build a new dam across Mullaiperiyar river. It also wanted judicial proceedings in HCs to be conducted in all official languages.
Source : http://expressbuzz.com/states/tamilnadu/dmk-bats-for-kanimozhi-ignores-raja/297529.html
Karunanidhi leaves for Delhi to meet Kanimozhi
Jun 21st
DMK chief M. Karunanidhi on Tuesday left for New Delhi to meet his jailed daughter Kanimozhi, a day after the Supreme Court rejected her bail application in the 2G spectrum case.
Mr. Karunanidhi left by a private airline at 8.50 a.m. and was accompanied by senior leaders Duraimurugan and K. Ponmudy among others.
He is expected to meet Ms. Kanimozhi at Tihar jail on Tuesday and is likely to stay in Delhi for a day or two, DMK sources said.
The apex court had on Monday dismissed the bail pleas of DMK MP Kanimozhi and Kalaignar TV MD Sharad Kumar.
A special bench of justices G.S. Singhvi and B.S. Chauhan had asked the two accused to wait till framing of charges before approaching the special CBI court for regular bail.
The court said the CBI court can thereafter decide their bail pleas uninfluenced by the earlier bail proceedings.
This is Mr. Karunanidhi’s second visit to meet his jailed daughter after she was arrested about a month ago.
Source : http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/tamil-nadu/article2122614.ece
Family domination major cause of DMK defeat: study
Jun 20th
People studies poll’ conducted by Loyola College volunteers
“First family domination in political affairs” was the major cause of the defeat of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in the Assembly elections, according to the findings of a ‘people studies poll’ conducted by Loyola College volunteers from May 21 to 29 and June 11 to 15. As many as 3,132 persons drawn from all districts voiced their views.
Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, S. Rajanayagam, Professor, People Studies, said while 49.7 per cent of the respondents blamed family politics for the DMK’s drubbing in polls, corruption in government departments, 2G spectrum allocation scam, power cut and price rise were the other reasons cited.
For the failure of the Congress, 61.5 per cent respondents found its ‘double role’ in the Sri Lankan Tamils issue as the major cause. At the same time, the poll revealed that 44.2 per cent said that they voted for the AIADMK as they wanted a change of guard.
The impressive performance of the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam was because of its alliance with the AIADMK, said more than 52 per cent. Those who imposed faith in DMDK founder Vijayakant worked out to about 22 per cent.
While more than 36 per cent of the respondents felt that the DMK and the Congress would part ways soon, 23 per cent felt there was a serious rift. About 14 per cent felt that the alliance would continue.
Change of the Secretariat, constitution of a committee to inquire into the construction of the new secretariat building, marriage assistance and gold for thali, hike in old age pension, distribution of free rice and plans to give mixers, grinders and laptops were overwhelmingly welcomed by people. Nationalisation of cable TV received the approbation of more than 90 per cent.
Several respondents found fault with the delay in implementation of the ‘Samacheer Kalvi.’ The new health insurance scheme and increase in working hours of liquor shops did not receive a positive response.
The poll had a separate section on Sri Lankan Tamils issue. More than 64 per cent of respondents said that a separate Eelam alone would be the lasting solution.
Supreme Court Notice to CBI on Kanimozhi’s Bail Plea
Jun 14th
NEW DELHI: The daughter of DMK supremo M Karunanidhi , Kanimozhi, will have to remain in Tihar Jail for at least one more week, as the Supreme Court sought response of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on her bail plea in the 2G spectrum allocation case.
A vacation bench, comprising Justice BS Chauhan and Justice Swatanter Kumar, refused to grant immediate relief to petitioners – Kanimozhi and Kalaignar TV MD Sharad Kumar – seeking bail in the 2G case. The court also asked CBI to explain about the status of . 200 crore which was allegedly paid to Kalaignar TV as part of what is known as the 2G scam money. “Where has . 200 crore gone.
It was not a legal transaction,” said Justice Swatanter Kumar. The court refused to grant relief to Kanimozhi and Kumar on the ground that they were not the recipient of the scam money. It asked petitioners’ counsels, Altaf Ahmed and Sushil Kumar, about the transactions of . 200 crore.
The SC also asked CBI to explain the physical status of such amount in a week. Justice Chauhan bracketed corruption cases with human rights violations. “It is the worst form of human rights violations,” he remarked. This was when counsels Ahmed and Kumar said that both the accused were not recipient of the scam money. The judges expressed unhappiness over CBI filing a supplementary chargesheet against Kanimozhi and Kalaignar TV MD Sharad Kumar without zeroing in on such transactions.
“The whereabouts of Rs 200 crore must have preceded the filing of the chargesheet ,” said Justice Kumar. CBI chargesheet has alleged that Kanimozhi has made Rs 200 crore through Kalaignar TV, as bribe money. However, according to Kalaignar TV, it had received Rs 214 crore as unsecured loan from Karim Morani’s controlled Cineyug Media and Entertainment.
The Rs 200 crore had allegedly come through a circuitous route of Sahid Balwa promoted DB Realty , according to CBI. Kanimozhi and Kumar both have 20% stake each in Kalaignar TV. The judges asked the agency why the accused were not interrogated in the case. They directed CBI to explain to it about two other things besides the physical status of Rs 200 crore.
The bench wanted to know the quantum of loss caused to the exchequer in the process of grant of Unified Access Licences for 2G spectrum during the tenure of A Raja as telecom minister and the status of the trial in the case before the special court presided over by judge OP Saini. CBI counsel Sonia Mathur informed the bench that the trial court will resume its day-to-day hearing in the case from July 4.
She also told that the charges were yet to be framed in 2G case by the special court. The SC bench directed CBI to file its reply and would hear the bail plea on June 20. The HC had dismissed the bail pleas of Kanimozhi and Kumar, saying they have strong political connections and the possibility of them influencing witnesses could not be ruled out.
Kanimozhi and Kumar, named as accused in the second chargesheet for allegedly taking bribe of Rs 200 crore, were arrested on May 20 after the special trial court dismissed their bail pleas in the 2G case.
DMK Nervous as Amma Comes calling
As Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa arrived in the National Capital, after a thumping victory in the assembly elections, nervousness within DMK is palpable and rituals of political courtship are afoot in Delhi.
With the ties between the DMK and Congress at an all-time low – party chief Karunanidhi’s parliamentarian daughter is in judicial custory – Jayalalithaa’s visit to the Capital has assumed greater significance. A seasoned player of political bluff, the Tamil Nadu CM is holding her cards close to her chest and not giving away whether her visit has a political agenda.
Jayalalithaa met BJP general secretary Ravi Shankar Prasad and Congress’ Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit . She also met CPI’s D Raja. The CM hosted Tamil Nadu cadre officers of the All India Services serving in Delhi. On Tuesday morning, she is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and hold a press conference later.
Ravi Shankar Prasad later said he congratulated her on her victory, “which brings new hope and strengthens democracy” . Though Prasad, whose association with the AIADMK supremo goes back to 2003, when he was the I&B Minister, described it as a courtesy call, the political undercurrents cannot be ignored.
AIADMK, an old ally, is among the parties BJP is trying to rope in to expand the NDA, a goal it has set itself in the run-up to 2014 LS polls. Jayalalithaa had turned her back on the party last year and aligned with the Left.
