PM has to break silence on 2G, S-band, inflation: BJP
By IANSTuesday, February 15, 2011
KOLKATA - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should break his silence on the 2G and S-band spectrum controversies as well as on inflation and black money when he addresses the media on Wednesday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said here.
Manmohan Singh will meet TV editors at his official 7 Race Course residence Wednesday morning, ahead of the budget session of parliament beginning next week.
We certainly expect him to talk on the three issues (2G, S-band and inflation)…,” BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said Tuesday. She added that he should also give his views on black money that was playing havoc with the economy.
“Does the government have any intention to tackle it, she asked.
She asked why India had not signed the United Nations convention on corruption, which would allow the government to access the overseas accounts of Indians.
She said the issue of India’s space agency ISRO being involved in the S-band spectrum controversy was important as it related to the country’s security. Why was there no proper process (in allocation)? That is something which we want the PM to address, she said.
The prime minister has formed a two-member commission to probe allegations of revenue losses in the allocation of space spectrum using S-band — high value and scarce radio waves — by the Indian Space Research Organisation’s commercial arm Antrix Corporation to a private company, Devas Multimedia Pvt Ltd.
The BJP spokesperson said the prime minister had remained quiet on the 2G spectrum allocation scam for the last one-and-a-half years. We have not heard him at all, he said.
Sitharaman added that there was no coherent view from the prime minister on measures taken to fight inflation.
Hoping to make an electoral dent in West Bengal, BJP leaders have gathered here for a rally.
