The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has demanded Textile Minister Dayanidhi Maran’s immediate resignation following reports accusing him of abusing his office as telecom minister in UPA-1.
The BJP has also demanded that if Maran does not step down as a Cabinet minister, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should oust him from his government. The Opposition is likely to take up the issue during the monsoon session of Parliament.
According to reports, Malaysia-based Maxis Communications had invested in Sun TV Group owned by Maran’s brother Kalanidhi soon after the company received spectrum licenses in new telecom circles during Maran’s tenure as the telecom minister.
BJP leaders have written a letter to Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director A P Singh, to include and investigate the role of Maran as telecom minister between 2004-2007 in its ongoing 2G spectrum allocation scam probe.
In its letter to CBI, the BJP has asked Singh to find out if Aircel was given license for new telecom circles after Maxis Communications acquired 74 per cent stake in Sun Group. BJP leaders have also asked whether 2G spectrum licenses was granted during Maran’s tenure at 2001 rates.
“The Prime Minister is not saying anything, Sonia Gandhi is also quiet. There are scam after scam coming out and they have become an integral part of the UPA government. The BJP is ready to fight a decisive battle against corruption,” said BJP general secretary J P Nadda.
Nadda has asked CBI to investigate if a group companies of Maxis Communication had invested huge sums in Sun direct TV, owned by the Marans. BJP has asked CBI to investigate whether the investment was made through the purchase of equity at a very high premium.
“The CBI investigations are being monitored by the Supreme Court and we hope these questions would also be included in the investigations,” Nadda said.