BJP hits back at UPA on VSNL disinvestment

NEW DELHI: The BJP today tried to turn the tables on the UPA saying it will have to conduct an inquiry into its own conduct on the issue of delay in hiving off the VSNL and return of 773 acres land to the Government.

"One of the ministers is trying to put the NDA in the dock on the VSNL ( Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited) demerger issue but the inquiry will be in the Government's own deeds as it will have to explain what was being done by P Chidambaram and Pranab Mukherjee (past and present Finance Ministers) in the last six years," Prakash Javadekar said in Rajya Sabha.

He was participating in the debate on the Finance Bill, 2011.

Raising concerns over the disinvestment of VSNL in 2002, Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal had recently said, "It has come to my notice that the disinvestment of VSNL in 2002 does not seem to be fair and transparent" and ordered an inquiry into the deal.

The VSNL disinvestment was done in 2002 during the NDA regime.

In response to the minister's allegations, former Disinvestment Minister Arun Shourie, under whom VSNL was sold to Tatas, had also said that if there was any delay in the demerger of the land, a probe should be ordered against the past and present Finance Ministers in the UPA government.

The issue was also raised earlier by V Hanumantha Rao (Cong), who cited media reports to pinpoint alleged irregularities in disinvestment of VSNL to the Tatas during Shourie's tenure as Disinvestment Minister in the then NDA government.

"This is a fit case for investigation by CBI," he said triggering protests from BJP members.

Attacking the Government, Javadekar said the Finance Minister had presented a budget which was "lackadaisical and uninspiring" and didn't have much to offer to the poor and unemployed youth.

Taking part in the debate, T Subbarami Reddy (Cong) said the Government had not announced any populist scheme despite the fact that elections were being held in five states.

On the Polavarm power and irrigation project in Andhra Pradesh, he said it was a national project and wondered as to why the government was not coming forward to get the project completed.