New Delhi: The Congress has refused to comment on reports regarding corporate lobbyist Niira Radia's claim that Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar may have pursued the issue of 2G spectrum with former communications minister, A Raja, and could be controlling the firm DB Realty.
Congress spokesman Manish Tewari said it wasn't appropriate to comment as Pawar had already reacted.
"The news is about an individual who is a senior minister. He himself has given an elaborate response. Our making a comment is not appropriate," Tewari said. Pawar said earlier the statement about him having financial interest in DB Realty was an "absolute lie."
"This is an absolute lie and a foolish statement and I have no financial or any interest in this company. The person Vinod Goenka… his father knows me from many years. He set up a milk processing unit in my hometown 20 years back and that unit is going well," Pawar told a TV channel.
Controversial
Radia, in a statement to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), claimed Pawar may be controlling the controversial company DB Realty and may have pursued the issue of spectrum and licence for Swan Telecom with Raja.
She said Shahid Balwa and Vinod Goenka were key people in DB Realty, and in that context she mentioned the name of Pawar. Radia, however, said she had no documentary proof or any other evidence to back her statement.
Pawar said he has good family relations with the Goenka family.
"I have good family relations with his father and that is why I know the second generation also very well and they are doing good service for my farmers," he said.
In court
On Wednesday, former telecom Minister A. Raja and eight others were presented in a New Delhi court in connection with the alleged scam in the allocation of second generation (2G) telecom spectrum.
Among them, Raja, his personal aide R.K. Chandolia, former telecom secretary Siddhartha Behura, and Swan Telecom promoter Shahid Balwa are already in judicial custody.
Congress spokesman Manish Tewari said it wasn't appropriate to comment as Pawar had already reacted.
"The news is about an individual who is a senior minister. He himself has given an elaborate response. Our making a comment is not appropriate," Tewari said. Pawar said earlier the statement about him having financial interest in DB Realty was an "absolute lie."
"This is an absolute lie and a foolish statement and I have no financial or any interest in this company. The person Vinod Goenka… his father knows me from many years. He set up a milk processing unit in my hometown 20 years back and that unit is going well," Pawar told a TV channel.
Controversial
Radia, in a statement to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), claimed Pawar may be controlling the controversial company DB Realty and may have pursued the issue of spectrum and licence for Swan Telecom with Raja.
She said Shahid Balwa and Vinod Goenka were key people in DB Realty, and in that context she mentioned the name of Pawar. Radia, however, said she had no documentary proof or any other evidence to back her statement.
Pawar said he has good family relations with the Goenka family.
"I have good family relations with his father and that is why I know the second generation also very well and they are doing good service for my farmers," he said.
In court
On Wednesday, former telecom Minister A. Raja and eight others were presented in a New Delhi court in connection with the alleged scam in the allocation of second generation (2G) telecom spectrum.
Among them, Raja, his personal aide R.K. Chandolia, former telecom secretary Siddhartha Behura, and Swan Telecom promoter Shahid Balwa are already in judicial custody.
