Telecom Minister Raja allegedly involved in 2G-spectrum scandal - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

There was an uproar in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday after the MPs demanded the resignation of Union Telecom Minister A Raja after a leading newspaper claimed proof against him over his alleged role in the 2G spectrum scandal. The MPs demanded Raja to step down from his position with immediate effect. Raja had in October last year said he wouldn't step down from his position in the wake of charges that his spectrum allocation policies have caused a revenue loss of 60,000 crore rupees. "I will not step down. Ours is a government that has followed all rules to the letter and spirit by following the recommendations of TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India)," he said. Raja also alleged that the BJP-led NDA government was involved in the "biggest ever scam", as it distributed free spectrum to operators depriving the exchequer of over 1,60,000 rupees crore revenue. Raja added that the NDA government not only distributed free spectrum, it also violated all norms by giving the frequency far in excess of 4.4 MHz to many leading operators.