PM defends Chidambaram

Even as the Opposition continued to question the credibility of the UPA’s top ministers, including that of the prime minister, a combative Manmohan Singh reiterated faith in his colleagues and rejected demands for home minister P Chidambaram’s resignation. In New York, he is meeting finance minister Pranab Mukherjee on how to extricate the UPA from the mess back home over the 2G spectrum scam.

Singh claimed he was “not bothered” about the Opposition’s continuous attack on his government, saying, “It is the business of the Opposition to oppose and to depose the government”.

The prime minister has unequivocally supported the home minister, saying he has and will continue to enjoy his trust. This was after the surfacing of a note from the finance ministry, alleging complicity on the part of Chidambaram in the allocation of 2G spectrum. This was interpreted in several quarters as a sign of Mukherjee being isolated.

When asked whether he would back Mukherjee like Chidambaram, the prime minister dismissed such speculation, stating, “Of course, all my ministers. They are, ministers who enjoy my confidence in full measure.”

The prime minister has specifically instructed the home minister to be patient and wait till his return from the US before making any public statement. Mukherjee, who too was in the US for a World Bank meeting, has gone on record to say he will make his stand clear on the issue only on his return to India. Meanwhile, Mukherjee and Chidambaram, who are usually not on the most amicable terms, are said to be leaving their past differences behind and strategising on how to deal with the issue. The two have allegedly spoken to each other twice over the telephone since the time Mukherjee has been abroad.

The prime minister has chosen to downplay his meeting with Mukherjee in New York, saying there was nothing unusual in it.

Congress sources maintain that top leaders, including the prime minister, are likely to meet party president Sonia Gandhi, once the PM returns. Gandhi has directed her party members to maintain a united front in the face of opposition charges that there was a rift within the two top Congress ministers.

So, it is no surprise that All India Congress Committee general secretary Digvijay Singh, considered a Chidambaram-baiter, has come out in full support of the home minister, alleging he was being targeted by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and saffron parties. The government and the Congress have been in a firefighting mode to save the multi-pronged attack on the UPA from both BJP and Left parties.