Coming to the defence of Home Minister P Chidambaram, the government on Friday insisted that the former finance minister had "no role anywhere" in the 2G spectrum allocation controversy and demands for his resignation were a "conspiracy" against him.
The government also justified the fact that minutes of a meeting between Chidambaram and the then Telecom Minister A Raja had not been recorded, saying it was not required.
"The demand for Chidambaram's resignation is a conspiracy. Chidambaram had no role anywhere. Whatever and whenever decisions he took, he did so after consultations," Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal told reporters in New Delhi.
He was responding when asked Bharatiya Janata Party's contention that Chidambaram had a role in the 2G spectrum allocation and should resign.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, who was also present, claimed that Chidambaram had never recommended to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that start-up spectrum should be treated as a "closed chapter" and there was some confusion regarding it. "His comments were about additional spectrum charges," he maintained.
On the minutes of meeting between Chidambaram and Raja not being recorded, Bansal argued, "the meeting was not such where the situation warranted preparation of any minutes...The meeting was not required to record minutes."
He said it was not a structured meeting like a Cabinet meeting or Group of Ministers where the minutes are prepared immediately after. "There are several occasions where two ministers meet even to discuss a specific issue but minutes are not made."
About allegations that Dayanidhi Maran, during his tenure as telecom minister, had laid a telephone exchange between his residence and office of Sun TV, which is owned by his brother Kalanidhi Maran, Sibal said the case is being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
"CBI is obviously looking into the matter," he said. When pointed out that CBI has said so, the minister replied, "if CBI says so, it must have valid reasons".
