2G Scam: Supreme Court takes exception to Salman Khurshid's comments
12 Oct 2011
The Supreme Court today expressed its disapproval of the comments made of law minister Salman Khurshid on the telecom scam and other cases of corruption that it is handling.
Khurshid said that if renowned businessmen were jailed, it would jeopardise flow of foreign investment in the country.
"Are we wasting our time?" asked the court in response today. The judges asked the CBI today, "If reports of the minister's comments are true, it is disturbing...are you supporting the stand of the minister?"
According to Khurshid, who spoke to NDTV this evening, he did not regret the remarks that triggered today's controversy and they do not reflect the opinion of the government.
On 10 October, Khurshid was quoted by the Indian Express as saying, "What will affect the functioning of the government is if other institutions do not understand the kind of political economy we are faced with today: what is needed to encourage growth and investment? If you lock up top businessmen, will investment come? "
The court is monitoring the CBI's investigation into the 2G scam, estimated to be the largest of the scams to have hit India. Among the 17 people so far arrested are former telecom minister A Raja and several executives of India's biggest telecoms.
