Clear your name, Yechury tells PM

NEW DELHI - Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Sitaram Yechury Thursday said he had told Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to clear his name which was being tarred by allegations related to the 2G spectrum scam.

Yechury spoke to the prime minister as they were stepping out of the Rajya Sabha.

“It takes me the same time to reach the gate of Rajya Sabha as the prime minister. As we were leaving after the house was adjourned, I told him that you should clear your name…” Yechury told reporters.

The Left leader said he had written many letters to the prime minister asking him to take action in Raja’s case but did not get any response.

“I only got acknowledgement letters in response of my letters… The legislature cannot be ignored, the prime minister will have to respond,” he said.

He reiterated the demand for a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) to probe the issue, saying it was the only way to have an impartial inquiry.

Referring to the issue of illegal mining in Karnataka, an issue which the ruling Congress has raised against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Yechury said nationalisation was the only solution.

“The Left parties have been demanding nationalisation of mines. The new mining policy is coming, we demand that this be included in it. Only this can solve the problem to certain extent,” he said.

He added that the issue of corruption needed immediate attention.

“It is not about illegal mining or one case of corruption; corruption is becoming a way of life. It is becoming what we called ‘crony capitalism’,” he added.