By IANS,
New Delhi : Attorney General of India G.E. Vahanvati Wednesday told a Delhi court that the letter of 2G case accused and former telecom minister A. Raja to the prime minister on the licensing policy was “not based on discussion with me”.
Vahanvati also said that the Raja’s Dec 26, 2007, letter regarding the policy of department of telecommunications (DoT) for 2G spectrum allocation also did not present the true facts about Raja’s discussion with then union minister Pranab Mukherjee.
The attorney general was deposing as a witness in the 2G spectrum case before Special Judge O.P. Saini.
During his cross examination by Raja’s counsel, the attorney general said: “It is wrong to suggest that what was communicated to the prime minister as the future course of action was based on the discussion with the then minister for external affairs (Mukherjee) and me.”
“The contents of this letter to the effect that ‘the discussions with the minister for external affairs and the solicitor general of India have further enlightened me to take further preemptive and proactive decisions on these issues’ are not correct,” he added.
He told the court that he was not aware of this letter as it was written by the then telecom minister (Raja) directly to the prime minister. “On Dec 26, 2007, I was not even in Delhi,” he said.
Vahanvati said the meeting between him, Raja and Mukherjee had taken place as the then external affairs minister was the chairman of the group of ministers looking into the issues related to spectrum.
He added that he had given a note to Mukherjee and indicated that pending applications for 2G licences would be disposed of and licences would be issued on first-come, first-serve basis.
The recording of the statement of Vahanvati would continue Thursday.