BJP targets Chidambaram again in Parliament over Aircel-Marxis deal

May 11, 2012 | National News | Written by

New Delhi, May 11: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) continued to protest against Home Minister P Chidambaram in Parliament over the Aircel-Maxis deal, in which the former is alleged to have given “clearance that was not appropriate” when he was Finance Minister in 2006.

The BJP has submitted a notice for the suspension of Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha today. In the Lok Sabha, Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj questioned why Chidambaram read out his son’s letter in Parliament on Thursday.

The BJP had on Thursday demanded the resignation of Chidambaram on this issue, forcing an adjournment of both Houses.

Repeating the statement that he had made inside parliament, Chidambaram earlier said: “This morning (Thursday), an honorable member of parliament (Yashwant Sinha) making a statement in the Lok Sabha, making an allegation against me and my family members. No notice was given to me. Either Rule 352 or 353. I took the permission of the chair to make a statement at 2 p.m. that the BJP and some others, whereas in the din, obviously they didn’t wish to hear the reply. They tried to prevent me from making statement. The chair allowed me to make a statement.”

Chidambaram quoted Karti, as saying: “I categorically state in this House that neither I, nor any member of family, had acquired or hold any shares of the telecom firm Maxis. The allegations against me are completely baseless.”

Karti Chidambaram further said in his statement: “It was ‘deeply regretted’ that the privileged forum of parliament is misused to make wild and reckless allegations against a private citizen.

“I categorically state that neither I, nor any member of my family, have acquired or hold any share in any telecom company. In particular, I categorically state that neither I, nor any member of my family, have acquired or hold any share in either Aircel or Maxis,” Karti said.

His remarks came after BJP leader Yashwant Sinha raised the issue of Aircel- Maxis deal, and alleged that Karti benefited from the deal when Chidambaram was finance minister.

“Prima facie what happened was a big scam and government should not hush it up,” Sinha said, demanding a statement from Mukherjee, who is the Leader of the House, as also the Finance Minister.

Earlier, Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy, who had sought an investigation against Chidambaram for his alleged role in the 2G scam, made fresh allegations of corruption against Chidambaram’s Karthi.

In a three-page letter dated April 24 to the Prime Minister, Swamy said that Chidambaram should be asked to resign as Home Minister and that the CBI should include him and his son, Karti, in its investigation on the Aircel-Maxis deal. (ANI)