Chennai: There is expectation. There is excitement. And there is nervousness.
When former telecom minister A. Raja of the DMK put his pen to the paper, he promised the publisher, Penguin India, a bombshell of a book on his side of the sensational 2G spectrum allocation story.
It goes without saying that the kettle has already started boiling with a million and more rumours and expectations from the former MP from Nilgiris on what he is going to reveal.
The Book In My Defence is currently being edited by the publisher and will be on the shelves by November. “The book is under editing. Once the work is complete, we will share the date of publication,” a source from the publishing house said.
“In My Defence, by one of India’s most controversial ministers’ Raja, is honest, hard-hitting and with no holds barred, an important and utterly absorbing book,” Penguin had said while announcing the making of the book.
The book is being keenly awaited in political circles, both in New Delhi and in Tamil Nadu, since Mr Raja is expected to present his side of the story with all necessary evidence.
The former telecom minister, who spent more than a year in the Tihar jail in New Delhi and is currently facing trial in the 2G scam, has time and again alleged that he was being made a “fall guy” and his decisions related to the 2G spectrum auction and allocation had the approval of the top brass of the UPA-I government.
Sources close to the DMK leader said Mr Raja is expected to shed light on how he kept the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his senior cabinet colleagues like the then finance minister P. Chidambaram and then external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee in the loop on the 2G spectrum allocation and how he had consulted them at every stage.
Even while arguing his case at the special CBI court and in a letter written to the Joint Parliamentary Committee that probed the 2G scam, Mr Raja had said he had taken all decision in consultation with the then Prime Minister.
“I did everything in consultation with the PM. After I was arrested, I advanced the same argument in court and at the time of framing of charges. My stand has been very clear,” Mr Raja had said while defending himself before the JPC headed by P.C. Chacko.
