Published: Tuesday, Nov 16, 2010, 0:12 IST
By Harish Gupta | Place: New Delhi | Agency: DNA
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_manmohan-singh-hands-telecom-to-kapil-sibal-dmk-mum-for-now_1466999
Even as the government held out an olive branch to an aggressive opposition by promising to place the CAG report on the 2G spectrum scam in Parliament on Tuesday, it seems to have gained a tactical upper hand over its ally DMK by handing over the telecom ministry to human resources development minister Kapil Sibal.
While it is being projected as a temporary arrangement, sources believe it is a deliberate ploy by the Congress to cut the DMK down to size.
After the resignation of A Raja on Sunday following a veiled threat from prime minister (PM) Manmohan Singh, the DMK had asserted that it would retain the ministry and party chief M Karunanidhi would announce the new incumbent.
The DMK was unusually docile after the PM put Sibal in charge of the ministry. It could be a “stop-gap arrangement,’’ a DMK spokesperson said.
“It is 100% the prerogative of the PM to allot vacant portfolios. DMK has three cabinet slots in the UPA government and, with the exit of Raja, one slot is vacant,” DMK leader TR Baalu said.
Political observers believe the party is worried after AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa offered to support the UPA government if Raja was sacked. While officially the DMK and the Congress have been denying any strain in their relationship, it was apparent during Karunanidhi’s stout defence of Raja prior to his resignation.
Telecom industry sources feel that the die had been cast for Raja’s ouster long ago when former IT secretary, R Chandrasekhar, who is reputed for his honesty, was appointed as telecom secretary two months ago despite Raja’s protests.
Meanwhile, Sibal has emerged asthe PM’s Man Friday. When Prithviraj Chavan was shifted to Maharashtra as chief minister, he was given additional charge of science & technology and earth sciences as well. Monday’s announcement took everybody by surprise as the PM was expected to retain the portfolio with himself.
Sibal is seen as the ‘clean up’ man by many and the telecom ministry is unlikely to be misused for private agendas, said an industry official.
Earlier in the day, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee had said that the demand for a JPC probe was“unacceptable’’. “How many JPCs did the BJP agree to during their tenure?’’ he asked. He added that there is a “permanent JPC in the form of the public accounts committee. It is chaired by a member of the opposition party.’’
Mukherjee also rejected the demand for a statement from the PM. The Congress also kept up its defence of Raja. “The resignation is not an acceptance of guilt. This isto emphasise the Congress’ sensitivities towards public perception,’’ it said.
