PM files affidavit in SC, says Swamy's letters duly considered

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday filed an affidavit in the SC in connection with the 2G Spectrum case. The affidavit has been filed through Director, PMO , K Vidyawati on behalf of the Prime Minister.

In the affidavit, it has been stated that there was no inaction on the part of the Prime Minister. According to the 11-page affidavit all the letters written by Subramanium Swamy have been given serious consideration by the PMO.

Various letters written by Swamy -- from the first in November 29, 2008 to the last in October 2010 -- have been dealt with in accordance with the procedure in the PMO, the affidavit states.

Earlier, at a gathering, the Prime Minister talked about the need to deal effectively with the "threats of corruption and crony capitalism", not only in India but all over the world.

Breaking his silence amidst the logjam in Parliament, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday promised action against anybody for any "wrong thing" done in the 2G spectrum allocation.

He also appealed to opposition parties to allow Parliament to function, saying the government is "not afraid" of discussing any issue.

"There should be no doubt in anybody's mind that if any wrong thing has been done by anybody, he or she will be brought to book," Singh said in his first comments on the 2G spectrum issue that has paralysed Parliament for the last two weeks.

PM said various aspects of the 2G spectrum allocation are being looked into by respective investigating agencies "in the domain of their interest".

RCom, Videocon, Unitech slide on 2G spectrum probe fears

MUMBAI: Profit-booking by edgy investors upset over the government's probe into alleged irregularities in the award of 2G spectrum licences sent stocks of companies like Reliance Communications andVideocon Industries plunging by 8 per cent in early trade on the BSE today. 

Anil Ambani-led telecom giant RCom has been accused by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of not disclosing a group firm's 9.9 per cent stake in Swan Telecom, one of the operators that bagged spectrum under the 2G auction. 

Swan Telecom was later sold to a consortium of Etilsalat and DB Realty and renamed as Etilsalat DB Telecom. 

Shares of RCom, which have lost nearly 15 per cent in the last six trading sessions, opened on a subdued note today before tanking by 4.15 per cent to an early low of Rs 147.50 on the Bombay Stock Exchange . 

Similarly, shares of realty giant Unitech and consumer durables major Videocon Industries, which have an interest in telecom brands Uninor and Datacom, respectively, also suffered, as both firms have been named in the CAG report for various discrepancies in their licence applications. 

While Videocon Industries tanked by 7.84 per cent, Unitech declined by 4.28 per cent in early trade on the BSE. 

Meanwhile, the 30-share BSE Sensex index was being quoted at 19,784.08 in early trade today, down 146.56 points from the previous close.