2G Scam: A Raja, Kanimozhi arrive in Chennai, get thunderous welcome

Two days after a special court found the UPA telecom minister A Raja, DMK leader, and MP Kanimozhi were not guilty in the 2G spectrum case, the duo arrived in Chennai. The Chennai International Airport was swamped with DMK supporters with huge posters of Kanimozhi, A Raja along with DMK leader MK Stalin was seen at the venue. Not just the airport, the DMK workers & supporters have also gathered near M.Karunanidhi’s residence in Chennai’s Gopalapuram for Kanimozhi’s arrival. Along with A Raja and Kanimozhi, there were 15 others in the 2G spectrum case who were acquited by the special court. The accused were released by the special court in the cases relating to alleged irregularities in the allocation of 2G spectrum in 2008.

The former Supreme Court judge G S Singhvi said that if somebody commits a crime but there is no evidence, then that person can be convicted. He authored the February 2012 apex court judgment canceling telecom licenses and the allotted spectrum.

TV reports suggest that there may be an elevation for A Raja and Kanimozhi in the party. The report stated that there are DMK members who wish that the duo will be elevated in DMK. The duo has not held any position in the party for seven years.

A day after he was acquitted in 2G spectrum scam cases, in an emotional letter to DMK president M Karunanidhi, A Raja raised apprehensions about the possible role of “hegemonic forces” which could not tolerate the regional party’s national political clout at that time. The former telecom minister also claimed that it was a “conspiracy” hatched to topple the Congress-led UPA dispensation and expressed anguish that even the then central government could not sense it.

Special Judge O P Saini, while acquitting former telecom minister A Raja and others in 2G spectrum allocation cases, lashed out at the then law minister and former law secretary T K Vishwanathan for their conduct and termed the law ministry’s opinion given at that time as “wholly outlandish”.

Meanwhile, on December 22, DMK leader M K Stalin said the verdict in the 2G spectrum allocation case has come as a “blow” to those who wanted to “taint” the party. Hailing the acquittal of Kanimozhi and A Raja, he said the party has now emerged like “gold refined by fire.” Quoting certain observations made by the special judge in the verdict, Stalin said it showed the case was “fabricated with an aim of targeting and sidelining DMK” at the national level.