2G case: Three crucial Supreme Court verdicts today

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court will on Thursday deliver its judgment on the petition seeking a direction for a probe into P Chidambaram's alleged role in the 2G spectrum allocation.

An adverse ruling could lead to political upheaval in the Capital as it could make the continuation of the home minister in the government untenable. While the Opposition is certain to demand his ouster, it could distract Congress' campaign in election-bound Uttar Pradesh. Conversely, a relief from the court could help Congress blunt the Opposition's charge that ministers in the UPA government facilitated the then telecom minister A Raja's spectrum sale.

On Thursday, the court will also pass its order on the petitions seeking cancellation of 122 radiowave licences granted during the tenure of A Raja as telecom minister as well as the plea for setting up a special investigation team (SIT) to montor the 2G scam investigations by CBI.

The three judgements will be pronounced by a bench comprising justices GS Singhvi and AK Ganguly. The unanimous verdicts on these petitions will be pronounced by Justice Singhvi.

A verbal duel between BJP and Congress has already started with BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi demanding the ouster of Chidambaram.

"This should be his (prime minister's) first step. Any delay will only lower his credibility," Joshi, who is the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee which is going into the 2G issue, told reporters at the BJP headquarters.

Congress retaliated by saying that BJP was making "highly irresponsible" statements. "BJP has a very irresponsible habit of putting the cart before the horse. If at all, the Supreme Court is delivering its judgement in a particular case, it would be proper to wait for the order before jumping the gun," Congress spokesman Manish Tewari said.