Wrongdoers in 2G will be dealt with severely: PM

NEW DELHI - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Thursday said anyone found guilty in the 2G spectrum scam would be “severely dealt with under the due process of law”, but added that the main policies of the spectrum allocation were formed during the NDA regime.

In his reply to the debate in the Rajya Sabha on the motion of thanks on the president’s address, Manmohan Singh said: “The controversies over the 2G spectrum should not have happened. But if anyone is found guilty, he will be severely dealt under the due process of law.”

The prime minister took the name of Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley several times as he attempted to deny the specific charges regarding the allotment of 2G spectrum.

Manmohan Singh said the main parameters of the 2G spectrum allocation were formulated by the then (National Democratic Alliance) government in 2003.

Hitting back strongly at the opposition, the prime minister said that India is a success story all over the world and only the opposition finds fault with the governments work.

Liberalisation has brought lot of good to India. We are the worlds second fastest growing economy, we have $300 billion of foreign reserves; people talk of the Indian model of growth all over the world, it’s only in parliament that the leader of opposition and some friends differ, the prime minister told the Rajya Sabha.

I urge the leader of opposition to read more then he will be educated enough not to use the harsh words like I am an eminent economist but made a mess of the country, Singh said.

The prime minister also said that though corruption has crept into the system, liberalization was not the reason for it as alleged by the Left parties.

It is certainly true when economy grows people start taking advantage. The moral is not that policies are wrong but we should have a strong effective regulatory system. That is our next work, without sacrificing liberalism, place a sound effective mechanism, he said.

Whether you believe or not, people marvel that there exists a country like India; a country of 1.2 billion people; poor yet very committed to democracy; maintaining fundamental rights and rule of law. If we succeed in the India experiment, well have something to teach the world we work as a united nation, bring the spirit of comradeship, he said.

Manmohan Singh earlier in the day spoke in the Lok Sabha. In his reply in both houses, the prime minister also cleared the air on the Antrix-Devas deal and the Commonwealth Games scam saying that the guilty will be punished.