Some official and confidential documents relating to the 2G-Spectrum allocation scam were put up by the Hindu on its website for a while yesterday. A read through the 2gspectrumscam document reveals a disturbing network of politicians, businessmen, PR firms and journalists. What follows is a small summary.
The CBI is investigating a criminal case under the Indian Penal Code as well as the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. It is alleged that there is a criminal conspiracy between public servants and private persons in the grant of UAS licenses in 2007-08. The government put telephone lines of certain individuals under observation after taking due authorisation. This revealed:
1. Certain middlemen including one Ms. Nira Radia and around 4 companies/ ventures owned by her seem to be actively involved in the conspiracy. Her companies were involved in consulting in Telecom, Power, Aviation, and infrastructure. These entities not only try to influence the media, they also try to influence policy changes to suit the commercial requirements of their clients.
2. Telephone conversations reveal that Mrs. Radia might have had some role with regards to the award of telecom licenses. There are also some direct conversations between Ms. Radia and the Telecom minister. Ms. Radia has also been instrumental in getting licenses and spectrum to the following: (a) Swan telecom, (b) Aircell, (c) Unitech Wireless, (d) Datacom.
3. There is a long conversation between Mr. Ratan Tata and Ms. Radia which establishes that Mr. Tata wanted to prevent Dayanidhi Maran from becoming Telecom Minister. Mr. Tata felt the need to exit telecom in case Mr. Maran became minister.
4. Sunil Mittal of Bharti Airtel had been lobbying to prevent Raja from becoming Telecom Minister. Mr. Mittal was lobbying for Dayanidhi maran.
5. On Mrs. Radia’s behalf Barkha Dutt and Vir Sanghvi were negotiating for ministerial berths for DMK members with the Congress.
6. A member of the Mukesh Ambani group in conversation seems to be trying to implicate members of the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group through Mrs. Radia. There is a conversation regarding Mrs. Radia’s organizing a Delhi-based NGO to file PIL cases and other cases against the ADAG group.
These are just some major points I wanted to put out from the document. The papers were discussed extensively in Parliament (Rajya Sabha) yesterday. For the debate in Rajya Sabha, click here.
Anirudh Burman 
i appreciate the lucid and informative discussion of such an important issues .
please write about
gram nayalaya bill /
women reservation act and its relation with minorities/
Lokpal lokayukta /
change in format of civil service prelims ….
need for psychological test of civil services candidates (as suggested by AD
Gorwala committee on public administration way back in 1951/
utility of constitution review commission
utility of law commission
social audit relevance and suatainence in wake of violence faced by activists in rajasthan
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Why this hue and cry over lobbying in the Indian Parliament where ethics is the last word which is believed and practiced. Do we have to reiterate that how many times we have witnessed unethical things like horse trading in this seat of democracy while formation of Governments? Indian Democracy had also witnessed people’s representatives practically brandishing currency rolls within the Parliament as a blatant proof of horse trading. And now politicians are coming out with such opinionated views against lobbying? Lobbying is perfectly legitimate business in today’s world . It is practiced in every developed nation of this century. It is perfectly transparent and does not necessarily involve money business.
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Lobbying should be a perfectly legitimate business, but it should be transparent. The issue is precisely that there is no transparency whatsoever. It would be more legitimate if there were professional lobbying firms who were registered as lobbyists, and any other sort of lobbying was banned. In a democracy, the most legitimate form of lobbying is of course, the electoral process. The electorate chooses who it wants to be represented by after a number of aspiring candidates have lobbied for themselves. After that, decision making process in the government should be done through transparent consultations, and be influenced by what members of Parliament think. Not by the tussles of industrialists bent on subverting the system. Lobbying for a minister of your choice is nothing short of subverting the electoral process.
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It is fine that the nation has got a chance to know about these high-level games going on within the power corridors of New Delhi, if any. But , what makes one skeptical is the distinct agenda of some group or groups to pin down one particular person in this whole issue. Even if Ms. Nira Radia has done lobbying for her clients, is she the only one to do so in her whole fraternity? Are the other players sitting idle and not trying their best to clinch the deal? Are all their efforts very much legal and ethical? And, this 2 G Spectrum issue is 2 years old, then why did the controversy spring up right before the auction of 3G Spectrum allocation? We can smell some nasty politics behind this whole issue. It seems to be an ugly corporate conspiracy rather than an effort to protect democracy in India.
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I agree with your perception of the whole revelation. For all those used to observing the way these things transpire, it is very easy to speculate on some hidden agenda behind these revelations being made as well. I also agree that the timing of the event is highly suspect. The other simpler explanation would simply be that the huge amounts being earned by the government during the 3-g spectrum auction have simply re-focussed attention on the money the state exchequer lost during the 2-g spectrum allocation.
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India is Constantly ” BLEEDING ” by 2 side of Attack. Merciless KILLING SPREE by Terrorists & LOOTING SPREE by some Corrupted Politicians. One Side would never be stopped and Another side would never go. Could we aspect Kasab’s Judgement ” DEATH PENALTY ” for both side? Why not to put Corrupted Politicians, Traitors and Terrorists in same category? Unnecessary Powers to Useless Politicians is more Hazardous than Terrorists. Parliament only wakes up when Media breaks any story on Scams, and the left over Idiots would Strom & Adjourn Rajya Sabhas and Lok Sabha to prove them more Patriotic on the loss of Public Money. RAJA / RADIA Nexus exposed by India Today Group is the Perfect Combination of POLITICAL PIMP & CORRUPTED POLITICIAN, who makes Ministry a ” HORE HOUSE ” and Compromises with Clean Chits. Is every Portfolios in all Ministry for SALE under Table or Auctioned like IPL Players by POLITICAL PIMPS to form Govt? DEMOCRACY IS ON THE ROCK BOTTOM STAGE IN UPA’s 2nd PHASE.
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We should refrain from comments as any opinion howsoever impartial it may, is likely to influence impartial(if at all) probe. Let us expect the probe would be impartial and in public interest.
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