2G case: Attorney General to represent PM in SC

New Delhi: The Attorney General of India will represent the Prime Minister in the 2G spectrum case in the Supreme Court when the the case comes up for hearing on Tuesday.

With the Opposition breathing down its neck in the 2G spectrum case, the government has got its defence act together by bringing in Attorney General Goolam E Vahanavati to represent the PM.

Vahanvati on Friday said that the government has asked him to represent the Prime Minister in the case.

2G case: Attorney General to represent PM in SC

He, however, declined to comment on whether any special instructions had been given to him by the government in the matter.

Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium, who was representing the Government so far, will only represent the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).

Subramanium, when contacted, said, "It is not a question of replacement but of better coordination. I will continue to represent the central government and the Department of Telecom on the issue while the Attorney General will represent the Prime Minister."

The Supreme Court on Thursday had asked the Prime Minister to file by Saturday an affidavit on "alleged inaction" in responding to a plea seeking sanction to prosecute ex-Telecom minister A Raja in the spectrum case, calling the matter "extremly serious."

The case is slotted to come up for hearing on Tuesday

2G scam: DMK denies arm-twisting PM

The DMK on Friday denied the charge of arm-twisting the Prime Minister saying that the decision on spectrum pricing was very much the Telecom Minister's prerogative.

After the CNN-IBN expose on how the DMK arm-twisted the Prime Minister - forcing him to keep the spectrum pricing out of the GoM mandate, DMK went on the defensive.

DMK leader TKS Elangovan defended all allegations saying that no one dictated any terms to the Prime Minister.

CNN-IBN accessed a letter written to the PM by DMK leader Dayanidhi Maran - who was the telecom minister in United Progressive Alliance government's first term - demanding that spectrum pricing be kept out of the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGOM).

The EGOM, set up in 2006 under Pranab Mukherjee's leadership, was to look into the controversies around 2G spectrum.

But in the letter written to Prime Minister on February 28, 2006, Maran asked Manmohan Singh not to interfere in determining the pricing of 2G Spectrum.

The Prime Minister's Office was forced to concede to the demand because of consistent pressure from the DMK.

Source: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/2g-scam-pm-gets-new-legal-team/135328-3.html?from=tn