The Special CBI court today has acquitted all the 19 accused in the 2G allocation case dropping all the charges made against them and now the former Telecom Minister A Raja proclaims he is the man who has brought the revolutionary change in the telecom sector.
While addressing a press conference, Raja said, “I brought a revolution in the telecom sector. It is not unknown to the history that a person who did a revolution is often termed as a criminal.”
“All my actions as Telecom Minister had been for the benefit of the masses, to make wireless service more economical and widely available, in line with the National Telecom Policy (NTP) and the recommendations of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). I have felt somewhat vindicated all along even prior to this judgment because the beneficial results of my actions are evident to and being enjoyed by the nation’s public (especially the poor),” he said.
Speaking of the special court’s verdict in 2G allocation case, he said, “As an advocate myself and a public servant I had full faith in the judiciary and I cooperated fully with the trial and did not seek even single day adjournment.”
“I also had the courage and confidence to step into the witness box and gave evidence and offered myself for cross-examination by the CBI, which is very unusual in criminal trials in India,” read his statement.
To begin with, the cases filed against him and others were false, he said adding, “The learned Judge has held that it is not just a case of the prosecution failing to prove its allegations, but a case where the prosecution case itself was false, which was my submission from the very first day.”
He further said, “I may note that the learned trial judge has repeatedly observed that my evidence was cogent, credible and consistent with the official records, in contrast with the prosecution witnesses whose evidence has been rejected as untrustworthy.”
He had thanked M Karunanidhi, DMK working president MK Stalin and party cadres for their “unflinching support during the dark period,” also those who have visited him during his 15 months imprisonment, the News Minute reported.
The special CBI judge OP Saini in the verdict said that CBI had “miserably failed” in proving the allegations made against the 19 accused in the case in their “well choreographed” charge sheet.
The Judge added, “…for the last about seven years, on all working days, summer vacation included, I religiously sat in the open Court from 10 AM to 5 PM, waiting for someone with some legally admissible evidence in his possession, but all in vain.”