Congress demands apology from PM Modi, former CAG Vinod Rai to nation over 2G spectrum case

Congress has demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former CAG Vinod Rai to tender an unconditional apology to the nation and admit to their sinister role in the 2G spectrum case.

“Let Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vinod Rai and all others tender an unconditional apology to the nation and admit to their sinister role,” said All India Congress Committee (AICC) spokesperson Prof. Gourav Vallabh while addressing a press conference at the Rajiv Bhawan in Guwahati.

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Prof. Vallabh said, “Layers of the concerted and deep-rooted conspiracy to malign, defame and bring down the
UPA-Congress Government during UPA- II are getting exposed sequentially.”

The AICC leader’s statement comes after former CAG Vinod Rai in an affidavit on October 28, 2021 tendered unconditional apology to Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam on “lying about the pressure being put vis-a-vis the role of the former Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh in 2G spectrum case”.

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This has “fully exposed the conspiracy”, Prof Vallabh said in Guwahati.

He questioned, “Does it now not appear that the then CAG, Vinod Rai, was the agent provocateur? To recollect, Vinod Rai had authored a CAG report that threw a sensational number of presumptive loss of Rs. 1.76 lakh crores to the exchequer in the grant of 2G spectrum licenses.”

“The report was a figment of imagination and a flight of fancy,” the senior Congress leader said.

The then Director General, Audit, P&T (Post and Telecommunications) in the CAG, RP Singh, who was the principal 2G spectrum auditor, told the ‘Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on 2G spectrum that “no loss had been caused to the exchequer”.

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When he had forwarded these findings to the CAG Headquarters (Vinod Rai was then CAG), he was taken off the audit and the findings were changed. It is also a fact that Vinod Rai could never substantiate the 2G spectrum report, the AICC leader said.

“The other actors who latched on to this vicious and malicious campaign were General VK Singh, Kiran Bedi, Baba Ramdev, Anna Hazare, Arvind Kejriwal and of course the BJP-RSS. The final aim appeared to be to somehow install a BJP government led by Narendra Modi into power,” he alleged.

“It is also not without coincidence that Vinod Rai, the then CAG, was appointed as chairman of the all-powerful, ‘Banking Recruitment Board’ with Union Minister of State status. General VK Singh became a BJP MP twice and has been a Union Minister for last 7 years,” he mentioned.

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Kiran Bedi became BJP’s chief ministerial face in Delhi and was then appointed as Lt Governor of Puducherry. Baba Ramdev has flourished to become one of the biggest businessman with turnover running into thousands of crores and has been allocated lands at concessional prices by BJP government in various states, he said.

“Anna Hazare has chosen to stay completely quiet on various charges of rampant corruption against Modi Government and atrocities on various sections of society including farmers, except for a few feeble voices without any follow-up action,” Prof. Vallabh told reporters.

“Only India lost. India lost its robust growth story, its surging economy, its inclusive growth, its independence of institution, its steadfast commitment to democracy and constitution and its unwavering faith in the independence of institutions including parliamentary accountability, independent media and a questioning judiciary holding the government accountable,” he asserted.

Based on Vinod Rai’s CAG report, CBI had filed a 2G spectrum charge-sheet.

When judgment in 2G spectrum was delivered on December 21, 2017, the Special Judge, OP Saini in his 1522 pages judgment concluded: “Absolutely no hesitation in holding that the prosecution has miserably failed to prove any charge against any of the accused, made in its well-choreographed charge sheet.”

“The nation must know that truth has been vindicated and the deep-rooted conspiracy to destabilize and oust Dr. Manmohan Singh government stands exposed before the people,” Prof. Vallabh further said.