INDIA SPECIAL
Back home, Prime Minister Singh’s
government skates on thin ice
Abevy of Indian heavyweight ministers might be in the United States to pitch for the country economically and as a player
on the world stage, but back home Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh’s government is ail-
ing.
An activist from the India's main opposition
Bharatiya Janata Party wears a mask depicting Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh, during an anti-government
protest in New Delhi, August 9
SHEELA
BHATT
ary. The ‘Ravan’ or demon king here are the wrongdoers in
government.
At presstime, Chidamabram, a highly ambitious and
powerful minister, was facing the 2G heat big time, though
Indian telecommunications minister-turned-Tihar jail
detainee A Raja is the prime accused in the case.
During the first term of the UPA government, 2G spec-
trums were allotted by Raja to cell phone service providers
on a first come first serve basis — despite the then finance
secretary recommending that it should be auctioned so
that the government earns more money. The CAG report
pegged the loss to the exchequer at a mind-numbing Rs
1,720 billion ($34.93 billion). Kapil Sibal, India’s present
telecommunication minister, however, claims
there has been no loss at all!
PARIVAR TAN SHARMA/REU TERS
