Chidambaram was privy to all 2G decisions, Raja tells court

Former telecom minister A Raja, jailed in connection with the 2G spectrum affair, today told a designated Central Bureau of Investigation court in Delhi that union home minister P Chidambaram was privy to all the decisions taken in connection with spectrum allocation in 2008-09.

Clarifying that he was not trying to involve Chidambaram as an accused, Raja's lawyer Sushil Kumar nonetheless told special CBI judge O P Saini, ''he knew everything. He was acquainted with all facts and circumstances of the case."

Chidambaram was the finance minister at the time the alleged allocation of telecom spectrum and licences at unduly cheap prices to certain companies without going for competitive bidding.

Kumar said that the statement of the home minister should have been taken in September 2010 itself, when the matter first came under CBI investigation.

He asserted that there was no difference of opinion between Raja and Chidambaram and the allocation was based on a cabinet decision; and that the entire cabinet at the time must be made to face trial along with Raja.

"It was a decision taken by the 2003 cabinet (under the previous NDA government) and followed by all subsequent cabinets. Why is only my client in jail," he asked.

"Call Chidambaram as a witness, and let him accept or deny whether he gave the advice in presence of the prime minister or not, and then let the court decide if it wants to call the PM."