Rahul, Sibal Back PM
New Delhi, Nov 19: As he came under fire on the 2G spectrum issue, the Congress party today mounted a strong defence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with Rahul Gandhi and new Telecom Minister Kapil
New Delhi, Nov 19: As he came under fire on the 2G spectrum issue, the Congress party today mounted a strong defence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with Rahul Gandhi and new Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal backing him to the hilt.
"I don't think he is in an embarrassing position at all," Gandhi told reporters outside Parliament, throwing the weight of the Congress behind the Prime Minister.
The Congress General Secretary was asked whether the Supreme Court's observation has put the Prime Minister in an embarrassing position.
Sibal, who was given additional charge of telecom portfolio after the resignation of A Raja, said as far as the Prime Minister's Office is concerned "we are absolutely clear that we have done no wrong."
"In fact, I do believe that the Prime Minister is a man of integrity. I don't think that anybody in this country believes that he was trying to circumvent the law," he said.
Attacking Subramaniam Swamy, who has approached the Supreme Court seeking sanction for prosecution of former Telecom Minister Raja, Sibal said it would be sad for the country if sanction is expected merely on the basis of newspapers reports.
Sibal said as far as the government's strategy in the Supreme Court is concerned, both the law officers (Attorney General and Solicitor General) are going to be there.
"Swamy realised that if he had gone with these documents to the court of law, it would have rubbished it and put it in the dust bin," he said.
He said he would not have and could not have got in court of law, he was trying to get political mileage. "That is why he is writing one after another letter to the Prime Minister and with every letter the documentation was increasing. So with respect to which letter the Prime Minister was supposed to respond."
The Minister said with every letter he was attaching as documents more and more newspaper reports and expected the Prime Minister to give sanction. "This is very unfortunate."
"On every letter, in fact, the Prime Minister has sought information because he is a sensitive human being apart from being the Prime Minister of the country," he said.
Attacking the BJP, Sibal wanted to know whether the BJP had taken any action against anybody involved in corruption whether it was the Tehalka case, Bangaru Laxman case or the current Karanataka land scam. Was there any JPC constituted in Tehalaka where money was taken on camera and in the Karnataka housing scam, he asked.
He said only it was the Congress party which acted promptly whenever it sniffed some wrong doing like it did in the case of Shashi Tharoor, Adarsh Housing scam and now in telecom issue.