New Delhi, May 24
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today defended his Telecommunications Minister A Raja over the allegations of corruption in the granting of licences for the 2G spectrum in 2008.

Maintaining that action would be taken if wrongdoings were proved at any level, the Prime Minister said Raja had told him “he only implemented the policies that had been in place since 2003 (NDA regime)”.

For its part, the Opposition has been seeking Raja’s resignation, saying the alleged fraud had caused a loss of up to Rs 1 lakh crore to the exchequer. Acknowledging that the recent auction of 3G spectrum had yielded nearly Rs 68,000 crore, as against about Rs 10,000 crore from 2G licences (granted two years ago), Singh, however, dismissed suggestions for Raja's removal from the Cabinet. “… pending the investigations, it is not proper for me to express any definitive opinion.”

Raja, who represents coalition partner DMK in the Union Cabinet, has also made his position clear in Parliament and in the media as well, the Prime Minister said. “I think one has to look at the whole problem in proper perspective. There was a particular policy, which had been in place since 2003 before our government came to power," Singh said, maintaining that Raja's point was it “would amount to discrimination if different yardsticks were applied for the new entrants”.

Pointing that the whole issue was being investigated and the CVC has asked the CBI to look into the matter, the PM said: “If I come to know that there is any corruption at any level, action will be taken.” The Prime Minister’s assurance came even as Raja said in Hyderabad he was ready to face any probe. “I am ready for any probe right from my ministry to the level of district collector, provided such a probe goes to the root of the issue.”