Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Spectrum issue

The arrest of former Telecommunications Minister A. Raja in connection with the 2G spectrum sale is only the beginning. We still have a long way to go. Whether the CBI can carry on the investigation without political interference is a million dollar question. One wonders what the stand of Kapil Sibal — who claimed that there was no revenue loss in the spectrum sale — is now. Considering that it is a huge scam, the Congress and the DMK should agree to a JPC probe.

M.V. Balakrishnan,

Chennai

Mr. Raja's arrest has raised more questions than it has answered. Why was there a delay in initiating legal proceedings against the former Minister? Why was an attempt made by Mr. Sibal to defend the indefensible? And what does the silence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh mean? Given the pathetic rate of conviction in corruption cases involving political bigwigs, it would be a monumental folly to expect any immediate breakthrough.

Sajjan Singh,

Jaipur

This refers to the DMK's defence of Mr. Raja — that he is paying the price for making mobile phone services affordable to the people. The question is not about affordability but the procedures he followed as Minister.

It is not for nothing that the CBI is conducting an investigation and the Supreme Court is monitoring it.

G.N. Kannan,

Coimbatore

With Mr. Raja being arrested in connection with the 2G spectrum sale, most people seem to be thinking that the nation is moving forward in tackling corruption. We do not realise that punishment meted out to persons in top political positions hardly glorifies the nation as a whole. In a country where political personalities are easy targets for the vast majority of irresponsible people, the aam aadmi needs to correct himself before pointing a finger at leaders and top officials.

Debotosh Chatterjee,

Burdwan

It was the scale of private gain at the expense of fair play and revenue to the exchequer that led to the spectrum issue dominating the public discourse, forcing Mr. Raja to pay the price. But there are many less powerful people who have been dismissed from service for being corrupt. A logical observation, therefore, is that the probability of being punished is inversely proportional to the power and money one wields.

K. Anand,

Bangalore

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