Raja to submit resignation to PM over 2G scam: Report

Under fire over his role in 2G spectrum allocation, telecom minister A Raja has decided to step down. He will submit his resignation to the Prime Minister. Earlier, the Congress wanted the DMK to take the first step in this direction and ask Raja to quit. But, according to DMK sources, the party made it clear that it will not act in haste.
While Congress is keen to see an end to the Spectrum controversy and normal functioning of Parliament, DMK has contended that it will await tabling of the CAG report and the outcome of the Supreme Court hearing tomorrow on the issue.



Initially Raja ruled out his resignation, the second time in three days, after meeting DMK chief M Karunanidhi has added to Congress discomfort, an apparent signal to the Centre that the southern ally will take its own time to come to any decision.
A senior Congress leader who declined to be identified, candidly admitted that it would require all the convincing of
the party including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to persuade the DMK chief to agree to Raja's ouster from the Cabinet.
The top Congress leadership met in Delhi and discussed the issue anticipating uproar in Parliament by the opposition which has been demanding Raja's removal.
Congress sources said that its ace trouble-shooter Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is actively involved in the exercise on the Raja issue and is in touch with the DMK leadership.
Karunanidhi's reported statement that he would withdraw other DMK MPs from the Government if Raja was sacked has added to the Congress dilemma. DMK has 18 MPs in the Lok Sabha.
AIADMK leader Jayalalitha's offer to give unconditional support to the Centre if the Prime Minister dumps Raja is another issue that has drawn Karunanidhi's ire.
For the record, Congress spokespersons have been maintaining that the Raja matter is sub-judice and that the concerned report of CAG is yet to be tabled in Parliament.
The Opposition had been demanding removal of Raja after the government auditor CAG is believed to have indicted the minister for not distributing 2G spectrum in a transparent manner, resulting in a revenue loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore to
the government.