BJP desperate to setup Chidambaram date with Raja

The BJP continued its tirade against Union Home Minister P Chidambaram for the second day on Wednesday. Party president Nitin Gadkari put his foot in the mouth once again and stated in a TV interview that "we are convinced of Chidambaram's involvement in the 2- G scam. We have evidence and we are sure he will go to jail." To buttress his case, Gadkari said, " Corporate lobbyist Nira Radia has stated in her statement to the CBI that Chidambaram had received kickbacks to clear the 2G spectrum. His signatures were present on at least 10 documents relating to these clearances and he also assured the Prime Minister in a letter that everything was OK with respect to the clearances.

Chidambram can't escape responsibility by merely burying an alliance partner (DMK)." Later, at a press conference at party headquarters, BJP spokeswoman Nirmala Sitharaman indicated that Gadkari's was not an off- thecuff statement. She asserted that Chidambaram was "jointly responsible (along with A Raja) for the decision to allocate spectrum in 2007 at 2001 rates" and his notes in this regard as the then finance minister were on every file Raja had pushed. She demanded that he should resign, as otherwise he would influence the CBI probe.

Chidambaram, however, asserted that the BJP was targeting him on the basis of an alleged conversation of Radia with one Raja who is not the arrested former minister A Raja but K Ramachandran Raja, an employee of Reliance. "I have made some inquiries. I have learned that the 'Raja' who figures in the conversation is one Shri K Ramachandran Raja, an employee of M/s Reliance Industries Limited," Chidambaram said, adding that he is sending a legal notice to this Raja, demanding an unconditional apology.

However, when journalist M J Akabar grilled Gadkari in 'Seedhi Baat' as to how the BJP could put Chidambaram in the dock - he shot back: "BJP has enough evidence against Chidambaram and is in the process of gathering more. The BJP members of Parliament will present the evidence to the CBI director and urge him to conduct a thorough inquiry, file an FIR and proceed firmly against the Home Minister." In reply to another question, the BJP president said Chidambaram was definitely culpable in the 2G scam and satirically added: " Tihar jail should create a special air conditioned 3- star facility to accommodate the Congress VIPs involved with him in this act of corruption."