New Delhi: After the AIADMK and the BJD spiritedly demanded urgent CBI probe in the Aircel-Maxis case involving allegedly the son of former finance minister P. Chidambaram, the government on Wednesday said: “We have no holy cows to protect.” Finance minister Arun Jaitley told the Lok Sabha that “nobody, howsoever important, will be spared if found guilty in the Aircel-Maxis deal”. After the AIADMK MPs created ruckus in both the Houses of Parliament on Tuesday, the Lok Sabha undertook a discussion on the Aircel-Maxis issue under Rule 193 on the basis of the notice given by Biju Janata Dal MP Bhartruhari Mahtab.
Amid loud protests from Congress and Left members, the debate was taken up. Mr Mahtab claimed that no FIR has been lodged yet in the Aircel-Maxis deal. “The CBI and ED have not filed chargesheet so far, despite the fact that the money laundering trail in the deal has allegedly spread to 14 countries, including British Virgin Islands.” He wondered whether “the BJP and Congress are doing match-fixing” by ensuring no action in the deal allegedly involving some of the powerful people in the UPA-II.
Later, while participating in the discussion, T.J. Venkatesh of the AIADMK repeatedly referred to two former DMK Union ministers and a former finance minister in the UPA-II by name, alleging that they were involved in money laundering. He stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power on the promise of unearthing black money but his government was doing precious little to bring to book those behind the Aircel-Maxis deal which has “deep roots in the infamous 2G scam”.
Congress and Left members later staged a walkout. They objected to the discussion saying that the debate on the President’s speech has not yet been concluded, besides arguing that the Aircel-Maxis issue was sub judice. However, Union parliamentary affairs minister M. Venkaiah Naidu reminded the Opposition that there were umpteen number of discussions on the Ayodhya issue and those related to Gujarat earlier despite the matters being sub judice.
Meanwhile, amid heavy sloganeering by AIADMK members in the Rajya Sabha seeking action against P. Chidam-baram’s son Karti on the Aircel-Maxis issue and by Congress MPs over the alleged Gujarat land scam forcing adjournments in the Upper House, the government on Wednesday said it was ready to discuss the matter raised by the AIADMK.
