Chidambaram constitutionally, politically accountable, says BJP

NEW DELHI: As the Supreme Court dismissed a plea for making Finance Minister P Chidambaram a co-accused in 2G case, BJP today said that he remains "constitutionally and politically accountable" as the nation suffered a loss in spectrum pricing in 2008.

"The loss has been caused to the government. Chidambaram was a part of the decision-making process. He is constitutionally accountable, remains politically accountable and that is what we are seeking inside Parliament and will continue to seek in JPC," BJP's chief spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said.

He said this in the backdrop of the Supreme Court today dismissing a plea for making him a co-accused in the 2G case, saying there was no prima facie material against him of any criminal conspiracy or procuring of any pecuniary gain.

Highlighting the huge difference in the pricing of 2G Spectrum in 2008 and 2012, Prasad said this showed that there was a loss to the government.

He said Chidambaram was very much a part of the decision- making process in fixing the Spectrum price along with A Raja "disregarding" the advice of Finance Ministry's officials for auctioning the Spectrum.

"It is well known that the base price of 2G in 2008 was determined at Rs 1,600-odd crores disregarding the advice of Finance Ministry officials to go for auction. In 2012, when the market conditions are adverse the base price of 2G Spectrum has been fixed at Rs 14,000 crore by a Group of Ministers headed by Chidambaram.

"Certainly I would like to know and highlight this for the country that has the country suffered a revenue loss or not in 2008, as said by Finance Ministry officials, that a proper bidding procedure should have been adopted. Therefore, the loss has been caused to the government," Prasad maintained.