With the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) stating that a preliminary inquiry suggests that Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran did misuse his office in 2006 to force the sale of Aircel to an industrialist his family was allegedly close to, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa today said that it is high time the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, drop him from the Union Cabinet.
"There is no use in expecting Dayanidhi Maran to take moral responsibility and resign. It is high time that the Prime Minister dropped him from the Union Council of Ministers," Jayalalithaa told media persons here.
"It was high time that the CBI took such a step that it took today. It was long overdue. I am happy that they have done it now," she added, while responding to a question on the CBI naming Maran in its report.
The CBI in its 71-page fresh status report about the 2G scam told the Supreme Court that during 2004-07, when Maran was telecom Minister, a Chennai-based telecom promoter (Sivasankaran) was forced to sell the stake in Aircel to a Malaysian firm.
The CBI also said that there did seem to be 'an element of coercion' in the manner in which Aircel stake was sold to Ananda Krishnan's Maxis empire.
Maran is the third leader of UPA's ally DMK, who is under scrutiny after lawmaker Kanimozhi and former Union Telecom Minister A. Raja were arrested for their alleged role in the 2G scam.