My conscience is clear: Raja

NEW DELHI - Telecom Minister A. Raja, facing allegations of lapses in 2G spectrum allocation, Sunday resigned from the union cabinet but maintained “my conscience is very clear”.

“My leader (DMK supremo and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi) advised me to tender my resignation to the prime minister,” he told reporters minutes after emerging from a meeting with Manmohan Singh at his 7 Race Course Road official residence.

“I will prove that I did everything according to law…there is a revolution in telecom,” Raja said.

“I am committed to country and people. My conscience is very clear,” he added.

Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said now that he has resigned, Raja should be prosecuted under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act and a first information report should be registered against him.

Raja is accused of causing a loss of Rs.1.76 trillion ($40 billion) to the exchequer by allocating 2G specturm at 2001 rates.