Press Releases Archive

The Lok Satta Party today charged Union Communications Minister Kapil Sibal with indulging in legal nitpicking in claiming that the Government had not suffered any loss in 2-G spectrum allocation. By resorting to quibbling like a petty advocate, the Government of a mighty country is becoming the butt of international ridicule.

Lok Satta Party leaders Katari Srinivasa Rao, G. Raja Reddy, P. Bhaskara Rao and V. Vijayendar Reddy were addressing media in the context of the Supreme Court admitting a public interest litigation petition filed at the behest of the Lok Satta seeking cancellation of the tainted 2 G spectrum licenses.

The Lok Satta leaders said that Mr. Kapil Sibal was trying to defend the indefensible. How could a responsible Union Minister turn a Nelson’s eye to the Comptroller and Auditor General’s report on the presumptive loss to the exchequer? The CAG estimated the loss ranged between Rs.55,000 crore and Rs. 1,76,000 crore going by three parameters – the amounts paid by the licensees to the Government and the amounts for which some of them sold them within weeks without any value addition, the revenue derived in 3 G spectrum auction and the solid offers made by some unsuccessful applicants.

The Lok Satta leaders demanded that Mr. Kapil Sibal own up his predecessor A. Raja’s capricious spectrum allocation, cancel the licenses forthwith, and call for transparent, competitive bidding.

There is a precedent for cancellation of such tainted deals, the Lok Satta leaders said. They recalled that the Government of India cancelled the deal to buy 197 Eurocopters from EADS after the Vigilance Commission had faulted the bidding process.

The Lok Satta leaders charged the Government of India with sitting on reports submitted by the Administrative Reforms Commission and others to rid the Government of systemic ills. In contrast, Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastry, a man of unimpeachable integrity and resolute will, lost no time in implementing the Santhanam Committee recommendations on corruption. Within a few months of receiving the report, the then Union Government created the Central Vigilance Commission, paved way for constitution of vigilance commissions in States, strengthened vigilance departments, brought Ministers under the purview of the Prevention of Corruption Act and amended rules governing all India and central service employees. (Today happens to be the death anniversary of Mr. Lal Bahadur Shastry).

The Lok Satta leaders said the series of scams that rocked the nation in the recent past called for resolute action, and not legalistic contortions and distortions.

Dr. JP took the initiative and roped in some prominent civil society organizations and individuals of impeccable integrity to file the writ petition (WPC No. 423/2010) in the Supreme Court.

The petitioners contended that the grant of 2 G licences was marred by multiple illegalities, irregularities, corruption, and favoritism. They wanted the Supreme Court to direct the Government to take back the allocated spectrum and auction it. In addition, they sought imposition of punitive damages on companies that made false declarations or violated their undertakings to the Government.

They pointed out that in most legal systems transactions tainted by bribery/corruption or made in violation of established norms and procedures are considered illegal and unenforceable.

The others petitioners are: Mr. J. M. Lyngdoh, Mr. T. S. Krishnamurthy and Mr. N. Gopalaswami, all former Chief Election Commissioners, Mr. P Shankar, former Central Vigilance Commissioner, Mr. Julio F. Ribeiro, former Director of General of Police, Gujarat and Punjab, Mr. Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, senior journalist, Admiral Tahiliani, former Governor, Chief of Naval Staff and Chairperson of Transparency International India, Common Cause, Telecom Watchdog, and Centre for Public Interest Litigation.

“Act today to ensure a better future for you and the country,” Lok Satta Party President told youth in an open letter to them on National Youth Day on January 12.

The following is the text of Dr. JP’s letter:

Dear friends:

Let me convey my greetings to you on National Youth Day on January 12.

Youth today constitute 73 percent of India’s population, and 94 percent of future belongs to you, compared to the six percent to those who are above 35.

You are the inheritors of a 5000-year-old civilization and culture, and can look forward to the prospect of becoming partners in a vibrant India.

Despite many shortcomings and challenges post-Independence, we have survived as a nation, and preserved our democracy, unity, and secularism. We have just weathered global recession and started marching forward on the growth highway.

To ensure a bright future for you and the country, you have to become a partner in wealth creation. It is possible only if you equip yourself with quality education and skills. You will forgo growth and constitutional guarantees if you are not ready to shape your destiny. In this day and age, the future belongs to those who have knowledge and skills, and can create goods and services for the society.

Even as you acquire good education and skills, you have to become a responsible citizen and voter by taking interest in politics. Politics encompasses every sphere in life and it ensnares you like the coils of a snake, as Gadhiji said. You must be actively engaged in politics for the improvement of conditions around you. But you must not be obsessed with politics of power, faction, and day-to-day abuse and invective. You must realize that politics should be society’s servant, not its masters. Politics plays a key role in our lives, but should not dominate our lives. Your life is for living with dignity and fulfilling your potential.

As you are aware, corruption has become a hydra-headed monster and is seen in every walk of our life. It has tainted Governments, political parties, legislators, higher judiciary, and media. You can ignore corruption only at your peril, for it enables a privileged few in politics and public office to prosper at your expense. You have to reclaim the republic stolen from you.

Besides fighting corruption, you have to strive to preserve and promote the country’s unity and integrity. You should not become a pawn in the hands of any section, which tries to promote its partisan interests by fomenting hatred and violence. The India of our dreams is greater than any caste, region, religion, race or language. The sum is greater than the parts. It is your duty to demolish these ‘narrow domestic walls’ fragmenting India. Unity and integrity of our mother-land, and fraternity of all Indians devoid of hatred and envy are of paramount importance to secure your future.

Draw inspiration from Swami Vivekananda in whose memory we celebrate National Youth Day. He was one of our best and brightest children who represented India’s spiritual wisdom and robust nationalism.

Swami Vivekananda says, “We are responsible for what we are, and whatever we wish ourselves to be, we have the power to make ourselves. If what we are now has been the result of our own past actions, it certainly follows that whatever we wish to be in future can be produced by our present actions; so we have to know how to act.”

Act today to ensure a better future for you and the country.

Sincerely yours,

Jayaprakash Narayan