A Raja—From honourable member to just an accused

Not so long ago, A Raja was an honourable member of the Union cabinet and an ally of the ruling Congress party. But today his status has changed to that of an ‘accused’ whose observations in court proceedings ‘need not be taken seriously’ because he has a ‘right to defend himself’ in the CBI case related to the 2G scam.

Both Congress spokesperson Manish Tiwari and Union telecom minister Kapil Sibal strongly rubbished the BJP demand for the resignations of the prime minister and the home minister.

When reporters pointed out to Tiwari that Raja was a Union minister when the said events took place, he maintained that right now ‘he was just an accused’.

Mounting a strong defence in favour of Manmohan Singh, Tiwari said that the “integrity, honesty and rectitude’ is respected the world over and no can accuse him of any wrong doing”. In fact it was the prime minister who raised the questions about the 2G processes,” he added.

Both the Congress and the government maintained that there has been nothing wrong in the spectrum allocation policy and all the figures of losses that are being talked about are on the basis of assumption. “When the policy was first-come, first-serve basis, then the question of loss to exchequer based on the calculations of auctioning the spectrum are just assumptions,” Sibal asserted.

Can dragging PM help Raja?
A Raja sparked off a new debate on Monday, while defending himself before a special court, when he raised fingers on the prime minister and the home minister and said he had only followed the NDA government’s policy. Experts, however, say raising such issues while the charges are being framed would not hold any ground nor would it help the accused.

Former Delhi high court justice SN Dhingra said, “An accused can say whatever he wants to say in his defence but all his accusations won’t lead to any impact on the court. For framing of charges, the court would only see as to what evidences the prosecution has placed before it. The court won’t believe any baseless allegation or rather politically motivated statements by the accused in the court.”

“These statements hold no value until and unless the same is corroborated with evidence, if any,” justice Dhingra said.

Another noted retired Delhi high court justice RS Sodhi said, “It is the work of the accused to level all kinds of allegations to defend himself but we should not lose the sight of the fact that the court works on evidence on paper and not on mere statements.”

Delhi Police’s standing counsel Pawan Sharma said, “None can stop them from making statements in the court but under no provision of law court can take note of these statements without any documentary proof.”

Telecom minister Kapil Sibal said Raja’s arguments could not be treated as evidence against the government.

‘I made mobile affordable to rickshawalla’
While defending his policy as telecom minister, Raja submitted that it was because of his policy that mobile phone call rates came down and they became affordable to even a ‘rickshawallah’.

“It was my obligation to social justice that every man on the street should have a mobile phone. I am a servant of my people and I made the call rates of mobile phone so cheap that even a ‘rickshawallah’ or a maid servant can be seen using it,” Raja said.

Raja’s counsel said the former ministers deserved a fair trial and the CBI should not continue its probe after the trial has begun. “CBI is dishonest with this court and with me,” Raja said.