Chidambaram couldn't change Cabinet decision on 2G allocation:Khurshid

NEW DELHI: Admitting that finance minister Pranab Mukherjee and P Chidambaram had a "working difference" on the controversial 2G note issue, law minister Salman Khurshid has defended the home minister on the first come first serve policy for issuing spectrum licences saying he could not have changed a Cabinet decision.

"...Mr Chidambaram, even after the Cabinet decision, continued to argue for auction," Khurshid said, adding that Chidambaram, who was then finance minister, could not change the policy as it was a Cabinet decision.

"Could Chidambaram alone have overturned the Cabinet decision? What was the other way for market determination once the Cabinet had decided against auction," he told Karan Thapar in Devil's Advocate programme to be aired TV Channel today.

Khurshid said when there is a disagreement between a large number of ministers and one minister, or between two ministers in the context of a decision taken by the Cabinet, "there is a point at which you have to say okay thus far and no further".

"Chidambaram said whatever you have done uptil now based on Cabinet decision, henceforth, the additional spectrum required - it will be required - must be done on a different context," he said defending Chidambaram.

Khurshid scoffed at claims of BJP leader Arun Jaitley that under Section 13 (i) (d) (ii) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, Chidambaram was guilty of giving an unwarranted pecuniary advantage to licence allottees.

"Can you explain how this means criminal culpability... Our position, based on Planning Commission documents, was we were not there to make money. We were there to ensure there should be maximum coverage, there should be affordable telephony available to people," Khurshid said.