CAG report on telecom sector was gross exaggeration: Chidambaram

The 77-page report on the 2G spectrum allocation ‘scam’ was arguably one of the biggest dents in UPAs armour and was one of the biggest factors leading to the anti-incumbency against the UPA in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The CAG report had claimed wrongdoings in the spectrum allocation and implicated then Union Minister A Raja, then Telecom Secretary and other big names, accusing them of causing massive loss to the public exchequer. Recently, however, all the accused were acquitted by the court.

Speaking on the recent PNB scam and Nirav Modi, he said: “It’s all happening in one sector — jewellery. Key players seem to have come from one state–Gujarat. It’s not happening across sectors and states. Obviously, people have been helped at some level. Who or how helped, I have no evidence.”

On the upcoming elections in Karnataka, Chidambaram said that people needed to ask hard questions to the present government alleging that it lives in denial.

“In Gujarat, they asked some hard questions. I think the next opportunity to ask questions is coming in Karnataka. We should begin to ask hard questions. Unless more and more people ask questions to the present govt it will continue to live in denial,” he said.

Stressing on the Congress’ strong performance in the Gujarat elections recently, he hinted the party is focussed on Karnataka, the last big state it holds power in. Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pakora analogy over job creation, he said, “They know there is a dearth of jobs. They deem selling ‘pakoras’ as jobs. That is like adding salt to wounds.”

With ANI inputs

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