New Delhi/Chennai, Nov 14 (PTI) A decision on the continuance of Telecom Minister A Raja in the Union Cabinet is expected to be taken after tomorrow's Supreme Court hearing on two petitions against him on the 2G Spectrum scam even as the Opposition stepped up pressure demanding his sacking.
On a day speculation was rife that Raja's exit from the Union Cabinet was inevitable, the top Congress leadership met in Delhi and discussed the issue anticipating uproar in Parliament by the opposition which has been demanding his removal.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, party president Sonia Gandhi and senior leaders Pranab Mukherjee and Ahmad Patel, political secretary to the Congress chief, attended the meeting amid growing view in the party that Raja's continuance in office has become untenable.
The opposition has been demanding removal of Raja after the government auditor CAG is believed to have indicted the minister for not distributing 2G Spectrum in a transparent manner resulting in a revenue loss of over Rs.1.76 lakh crore.
On his part, Mukherjee refused to comment on the Spectrum controversy, saying whatever has to be said will be stated in Parliament.
"Parliament is in session. Whatever needs to be said on Telecom Minister A Raja, will be said in Parliament," he told reporters on the sidelines of a function in New Delhi.
Raja, who has struck a defiant note asserting there was no question of his resigning from the Government, met Karunanidhi in Chennai for the second time in 24 hours.
He met the DMK chief at the latter's residence and the two are understood to have discussed during the 30-minute meeting the implications of the CAG report on the alleged scam. Former Union Minister and senior DMK leader T R Baalu is also understood to have been present during the meeting.
All eyes are now on the Supreme Court will tomorrow hear two petitions, one filed by an NGO, CPIL and another by Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy, alleging Rs 70,000 crore corruption in the entire Spectrum allocation.
During the last hearing on October 29, the Supreme Court had slammed the CBI for its "slipshod" investigations into the 2G Spectrum allocation issue and even wondered how Raja was continuing in office.
The Telecom ministry has claimed that new licenses and 2G Spectrum was distributed as per the existing policy which were followed by all the predecessors of Raja.
Kanimozhi also saw no strain between the Congress and the DMK on the issue.
"As far as I know, the alliance between the Congress and the DMK is very strong and very good. People who have to worry about the alliance is the Left parties which are in alliance with the AIADMK in the state".
The Opposition parties, including BJP and the Left, made it clear that they will not allow Parliament to function till Raja is removed.
They are also planning to corner the Prime Minister after Raja's comments that he had kept the PMO in the loop at every stage during the Spectrum allocation.
BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar alleged that the affidavit submitted by the government in Supreme Court on the 2G Spectrum allotment "is testimony of the abject and complete surrender of the Congress before its partner DMK for mere survival in office".
JD(U)'s Shivanand Tiwari said Raja's resignation has become secondary and an explanation from the Prime Minister has become "primary" following the affidavit.
CPI leader D Raja said that since the Prime Minister is the head of the government, it was for him to explain the matter.
Meanwhile, In Thiruvananthapuram, Defence Minister A K Antony said there was "no cover up and no witch hunt" while declining to make any comment on the Spectrum row.
