The finance ministry indicated on Thursday that the note sent by the finance ministry to the PMO on the 2G spectrum allocation issue was prepared by the Cabinet Secretary under the PMO’s instructions. The finance ministry also clarified that finance minister Pranab Mukherjee had “no role” in it, while home
minister P. Chidambaram explained his position to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who spoke to him from Frankfurt Wednesday night, and he claimed an “orchestrated campaign” has been unleashed against him.
Sources said the 2G controversy continued to rattle the government. “The Cabinet Secretary asked the secretaries of the finance and communications ministries to prepare a note on the issue,” they said. A finance ministry official noted that the Cabinet Secretary worked directly under the Prime Minister’s instructions.
“Therefore, following consultations with the secretaries in the finance, communications ministries and the PMO, a note was prepared and sent to the PMO,” the sources said. On the note having been cleared by the finance minister, the officials said that was a “routine thing”.
Sources close Mr Mukh-erjee said the finance minister had “no axe to grind against anyone, it’s not in his nature”. Mr Mukherjee, who is now in Washington, told a television channel that the “note is now with the PMO”.
It was further claimed that the note sent on March 25, 2011 was confidential, and “if things are accessed through an RTI application, no one can be held responsible”. They also noted that “whatever was stated in the note was based on facts”, and that “with the issue under the JPC, all the key players will get an opportunity to explain their stand in front of the committee”.
While Mr Chidambaram reportedly explained his stand to the Prime Mini-ster, Union law minister Salman Khurshid came to the home minister’s defence, saying there could be “no question mark” on him, and that he deserved the government’s full support. The Congress also rallied around the home minister, saying the “move to create a rift between constitutional authorities” was “regrettable”.