By IANS,
New Delhi: Triggering speculation in political circles, Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran, who is facing allegations of corruption, met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here Thursday.
“Maran had a meeting with the prime minister,” an official in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) told IANS, declining to give any detail of the discussion.
DMK sources said that Maran might have explained his “non-involvement” regarding the allegations against him in the spectrum scam.
However, there is speculation in the political circles that Maran may be asked to resign before the likely cabinet reshuffle soon, if the Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI), which is probing the allegations against him decides to question him or name him in the first information report (FIR).
Several recent media reports had alleged that Maran – then communications minister – forced C. Sivasankaran, owner of Aircel, to sell the telecom company to Maran’s Malaysia-based friend T. Ananda Krishnan in 2006.
The reports allege that Maran deliberately delayed issuing spectrum licenses to Aircel’s sister concern, Dishnet Wireless, when it was owned by Sivasankaran. He issued the licenses soon after it changed hands to Ananda Krishnan who owns Maxis.
Within four months of the spectrum allocation, Astro – a sister company of Maxis – got cabinet nod to buy Rs.675 crore equity in Sun Direct DTH, a company owned by Maran’s brother Kalanidhi Maran and family, the reports have pointed out.
On June 6, Sivasankaran in his statement to the CBI reiterated the charge that he was forced to sell the company. Maran denied the allegation saying Sivasankaran was keen on selling the company.
A. Raja, another former communication minister belonging to DMK, is currently in jail in connection with the 2G spectrum case.