2G Scam – More ‘Si-BalShit’

After the sacking of Spectrum Raja one would have thought the induction of Kapil Sibal as Telecom Minister would bring in some sanity to the ministry. Most people have known Sibal to be knowledgeable, sensible and a straight-talking person. Being a top grade lawyer, he has usually chosen his words carefully in the past. Adversity and calamity bring out the best in a man or the worst in a man. Far from his best, it seems to have brought out the worst in Kapil Sibal. I am now tempted to say ‘Si-Bull in a china shop’. (Or 'Si-Bull in a mobile shop?)

Si-Bull In A Mobile Shop?

First, the uncalled for attack on the CAG when he stated: “We are extremely pained at the methodology adopted by the CAG for arriving at the [allocation loss] figures that have no basis. The “presumptive losses” had embarrassed the government and the nation, he said, and this “resulted in a kind of sensationalism, which has allowed the Opposition to spread utter falsehood among the people.” Falsehood? The CAG then stood by its report.

Later, in January,  in an interview with Rajdeep Sardesai, Sibal was unusually combative and almost militant. He even mentioned that all the letters to and from the PM that were being referred mostly didn’t exist and that the ‘Aam Aadmi’ had actually benefited from the spectrum policies. In other words, the aam aadmi had benefited from the 2G Scam. Sardesai was so battered by the ‘Si-Bull’ that he couldn’t even ask proper questions or get answers.

In between, he appointed retired Justice Shivraj Patil as a one-man panel to look into the irregularities in spectrum allotment. The justice dishes out a report that suggests wrong polices existed since 2003, during the NDA regime. Quoting the report, Sibal said the committee found that original spectrum allocation was "bad" and procedures were not followed both during the NDA government till 2004 and the UP government up to 2008.  This comes today, a day after Raja’s arrest.

It’s time the press and electronic media told Mr. Kapil, “Enough of your (Si)Balshit please get on with the job”. Kapil Sibal has the job of cleaning up the mess and moving on to ensure better policies, more transparency, and do the best to recover any losses that the nation may have incurred under previous policies, previous ministers or previous regimes. It would be a disaster if a respected politician and lawyer such as Kapil Sibal drowns himself in petty politics to defend the UPA. Nobody is blaming Kapil Sibal for any mess but if he continues in this vein he will attract the same revulsion that A. Raja has.

The arrest of A. Raja has nothing more than drama value and some comic relief. It means nothing unless he is sentenced to prison after a proper court procedure. In the meantime, Mr. Kapil please spare us anymore ‘Si-Balshit’! We would not like to see you become Si-BULL in a mobile shop!

2G Scam - Outlook Reveals More Radia Tapes..

No one should be in any doubt whatsoever that the last of the Radia tapes have been released. It will be safe to expect that these will be released in installments as the political battles continue. In a way it's a good idea. For those who have been lying and wrongly defending themselves in the media over their involvement in this unholy scam, the truth will slowly but surely painfully out.

Outlook magazine has released 4 more sets of taped conversations. I am not reproducing them on this post, but they can be heard here and the related article can be read here. This time it involves former chief of CII Tarun Das and has references to Barkha Dutt and some more people. None of these should surprise anyone anymore.

The government has filed an affidavit in the SC stating suspicions of spying, money laundering were the reasons for the phone tap. This has to be taken with a bucket-full of salt. It appears implausible that when so many people, nations, and so much money is involved that all the suspicions pointed to one person, Nira Radia and that hers was the only phone that was tapped. The 'unnamed' Tamil Nadu politician from the tapes would be a simple guess for anybody. The Congress can keep dodging the parliament on the JPC issue but I have no doubts that the one person who has to really come clean on the whole issue is P.Chidambaram. As former Finance Minister and then Home Minister none of the phone tapping or real reasons for it would be outside his knowledge and approval. I am absolutely sure 'spying' was involved in all of this, but I have serious doubts if the spy is Nira Radia. The spying definitely has a different angle and motive, and its the Congress that can provide the real truth behind it all.

That said, I have already made a strong request to NDTV to fire Barkha Dutt. A journalist appearing to be a fixer does no good for anyone. Now, I may have to go a step further and even consider requesting NDTV to wind up. Their financial mess with ICICI and many other related issues makes sorry reading.

I have to only repeat what Deep Throat advised Bob Woodward in the Watergate scandal: "Follow the money".

Radia Tapes - Now Prabhu Chawla Offers Defence..

Following Barkha Dutt and Vir Sanghvi, the latest to offer a defence of his conversation with Nira Radia is Prabhu Chawla. Here is what he wrote on November 23:

"Much has been made about a conversation that Nira Radia had with me. This is just to put the record straight. The 13 minute conversation had nothing to do with the controversial 2G of A Raja. Nira called me as she said “to seek my expertise” on the Battle for Gas” between the two Ambani brothers. I merely told her that the earlier the brothers put an end to their private battle, the better it will be for the public good. I did not take sides........It is proof, if indeed proof were needed, that I have nothing to hide or be ashamed of. " Read his full blogpost Here.

Here's my response to Mr. Prabhu Chawla:

Firstly, I have not yet come across any media, electronic, print or online, accusing you of any "guilt" in these conversations. Then why this defence? Why this attempt to show you are "innocent" of any wrong doing?

You were at least one person to admit that these tapes are genuine in your "Ask Prabhu" feature on your group site (Read Here) And then you went on to state these were obtained "illegally"! Really? I would request you to substantiate your charge that these were obtained illegally. In other terms, are you suggesting that the magazine that exposed the tapes had "sources" that were illegal, unlike the "legal" journalistic sources that Barkha, Sanghvi and you maybe indulging?

You are a very senior and respected journalist. But if someone completely unaware of the background of the whole story were to be shown the transcript of your conversation with Radia, who do you think would be perceived to be the journalist? You or Nira Radia? In all honesty, in response to her clever line of probing you appear to be the one singing like a canary with delicate juice on the Ambani brothers. Is that how journalists do business? Who's doing the "Seedhi Baat" here? And were you completely unaware that this person is a corporate and political lobbyist that would make anyone cautious about what they say to her? Especially a senior journalist of some standing.Were you completely unaware of the overall nature of Radia's portfolio of work and assignments?

No one accused you of any guilt, Mr. Chawla. However, since you have offered a defence, the above are the real questions you need to answer. Will you? It doesn't cross the minds of the journalists involved in this story that it's not Radia who appears to be the "journalistic source" in all the transcripts. It is, unfortunately, the journalists who appear to be a "source" for a lobbyist's designs. Is that so hard to see?

Barkha Dutt – Nira Radia Tapes & NDTV’s Response

In the famous blog by Chetanya Kunte after the 26/11 attacks which Barkha Dutt and NDTV decided was “appropriate” for legal action for defamation, NDTV managed to suppress Kunte’s voice, but made his blog and his message a phenomenal success on the net. They are now set to popularise the so far relatively unknown Open Magazine (OM). So not surprisingly, in response to the Barkha Dutt-Nira Radia tapes NDTV has once again chosen to play “victim” by using the D word. Defamation? It must be the primary education for any journalist or public figure that “truth” does not constitute defamation. It Exposes. And truth is the best defence against defamatory action. In the response to the expose NDTV has threatened to take “appropriate action”. (One has to wonder what that appropriate action would be – Mud-slinging? Legal action? Conducting a sting on Manu Joseph? Digging up juicy tit-bits from Joseph’s past? What could that possibly mean?)

NDTV’s response here.

Now then, NDTV has perhaps forgotten all the sting operations it carried against various people. Filming and recording people without their knowledge to be used against them as investigative journalism and as evidence in their reports. It is Barkha’s singular misfortune that she was trapped in the phone-tapping by government agencies when the primary target of investigation would appear to be Nira Radia. Let’s examine the NDTV response to the Open Magazine (OM) expose: (NDTV responses are in Red)

First, Barkha and NDTV have nowhere in their response questioned the authenticity of the tapes itself. Therefore, one must proceed with the belief that they accept the tapes to be authentic and accurate (unless they question it in future statements)

“In response to the Open Magazine cover story dated 20th November, 2010 NDTV would like to object in the strongest terms to the clear misrepresentation of conversations between Barkha Dutt and Ms. Nira Radia, that took place in May 2009.”

What exactly was the misrepresentation? The report was the tape and the transcript. So where exactly did Barkha find misrepresentation? On the contrary, I wonder if such an explosive tape about some other people had landed in the hands of NDTV how would Barkha handle it. It would have been with extraordinary cacophony and screaming headlines and even conviction of the people involved as guilty by Barkha herself.

“In the pursuit of news and information, journalists talk to an array of people from all professional backgrounds; this case being an  unfolding political story on cabinet formation, after the general elections.”

Sure, we expect journalists to talk to a lot of people from all walks of life. Journalists talk to politicians, businessmen, lobbyists, terrorists, criminals, maoists. And they should in the interest of fair reporting.  However, it is not just WHO you talk to but WHAT you talk about that is also significant. If the Barka-Radia conversation was one where a journalist was seeking inputs or even inside information on political formations that would be perfectly legitimate. Is that the case here? My interpretation is different and each person hearing that may have a different interpretation.  But what would be the inference made by a “reasonable” man? Laws are made on the assumptions of people behaving and acting reasonably.  In the case of this conversation it doesn’t seem reasonably convincing that it was merely journalistic pursuit in an unfolding political story. All the more so since it appears that it is the “person” calling the journalist frequently when normally it would have been the other way around.

“The fact that the very editor of the magazine that has published this story accepts the distortion in the story's caption and goes on to say that there is nothing "remarkable" in the content speaks for itself.”

No where in the NDTV response does Manu Joseph say anything of that sort. Also,  I am sure Joseph will respond to NDTV’s stand in due course in his own magazine under a response in his name. Interpreting private communication between Barkha and Joseph does not constitute anything. The word “distortion” also does not appear to be one used by Manu Joseph, it is clearly NDTVs interpretation.

“NDTV believes the magazine should first verify and corroborate facts before participating in a defamatory smear campaign.”

I completely agree. Only, this is fundamentally no smear campaign against NDTV. It is just co-incidence that in exposing lobbyists like Nira Radia, Barkha Dutt happened to be one she communicated with. However, who should OM verify with? With NDTV or Nira Radia or Barkha Dutt? NDTV forgets that the expose is not primarily to tarnish NDTV or Barkha but a report that adds to the fire that is the 2G Spectrum scandal. Such noble thoughts do not seem to occur to NDTV or Barkha in their own reporting. Let me just quote a few examples: Where was corroboration for all the ranting of Teesta Setalvad against Narendra Modi or NDTV’s own ranting against Modi? Where was all the corroboration for the humiliation heaped on Arushi’s parents in that infamous murder case? Where is all the corroboration for the explosive “saffron terror” syndrome?

It doesn’t seem to be apparent to Barkha Dutt and NDTV that the phone conversations were tapped by a government agency investigating serious economic offences or criminal activities. The target of the investigation obviously seems to be Nira Radia. In all of Radia’s conversations anyone else could have been at the other end of the telephone line. A politician, a corrupt businessman, a criminal, a money-launderer. But the fact remains that it happened to be journalists in this particular expose. In this case Barkha Dutt and in another Vir Sanghvi. If anything, this has only served to strengthen the public belief that our journalists are no different from our politicians.And there is no reason to believe that the government agencies do not possess tapes of Radia's conversation with many other people too.

Barkha is also extremely fortunate that NDTV has chosen to respond to this expose in her support. Does it mean the conversations Barkha was having with Nira Radia was approved by or in knowledge of NDTV? Any major organisation would have typically stated that the conversation Barkha was having was in her “individual and private” capacity. This is also a warning for all media channels not to have their brand names be so heavily associated with "personalities". A media channel needs to be bigger than personalities. Else, one flawed celebrity would be enough to bring the house down.

The Barkha Dutt - Nira Radia Tapes : Power-brokers?

These tapes (in 5 parts) were posted at Open Magazine. The link for the post is given below:

http://www.openthemagazine.com/article/nation/tell-me-what-should-i-tell-them

A transcript is also posted at:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/43110861/%E2%80%9CTell-me-what-should-I-tell-them-%E2%80%9D-OPEN-Magazine 

Although the tape seems to be authentic, I cannot vouch for the same, so readers may make their own judgement. However, it is now up to both Barkha Dutt and Nira Radia to confirm or deny the accuracy of the tapes. These conversations were in 5 parts but I have combined them in to one single conversation.

The conversations are reported to have happened in May 2009 when the new UPA ministry was being formed at the centre. The transcripts provided below may exclude some interruptions or inaudible parts in the conversation but have been reproduced verbatim from the sites mentioned above.

(Transcripts as contained in the original sites referred above)

ALERT: Conversation begins on some audios after a few seconds of silence; all audio files embedded at the beginning of corresponding transcripts

As talks between the DMK and Congress (‘them’) broke down over joining the Government in May 2009, Radia was actively involved in opening channels between the two parties through, among others, television journalist Barkha Dutt

“Oh God. So now what? What should I tell them? Tell me what should I tell them?” —BARKHA DUTT

DATE 22 May 2009 TIME 09:48:51

RADIA: Hi, did I wake you up?

BARKHA: No, no, no. I’ve been up, ya, most of the night. The stalemate continues, yaa.

RADIA: Yeah. Listen, the thing is that they need to talk to him directly. That is what the problem is.

BARKHA: Haan so, apparently PM’s really pissed off that they went public.

RADIA: But that’s Baalu’s doing, naa… he was not instructed by Karunanidhi to do that.

BARKHA: Oh, he wasn’t?

RADIA: This is not. He was told to come away and tell Congress that.

BARKHA: And he went public

RADIA: Well, the media… media, the media was standing outside.

BARKHA: Oh God. So now what? What should I tell them? Tell me what should I tell them?

RADIA: I’ll tell you what it is---the problem and I have had a long chat with both his wife and with the daughter right

…

BARKHA: Haan, haan.

RADIA: The problem is if the Congress has a problem with Baalu, if they have no problem with anyone. They need and go talk to Karunanidhi. They have very good relationship with Karunanidhi directly.

BARKHA: Correct, haan.

RADIA: Because you see, in front of Baalu, in front of Maran, they can’t talk.

BARKHA: Yeah

RADIA: So they have to tell him directly, there [are] enough Congress leaders in Tamil Nadu. They need to go in and tell him exactly---the biggest problem is that the following of Alagiri is saying that you cannot give [inaudible] a cabinet [inaudible] and keep Alagiri in the MoS state.

BARKHA: That’s right. But will Karuna drop Baalu?

RADIA: He… look, if you tell him that Baalu is the only problem. I would imagine, he will drop him.

BARKHA: But you see the problem right now is also over the choice of portfolios, naa…

RADIA: No. They’ve not said anything. The portfolios have not even got discussed.

BARKHA: Congress claims, for whatever it’s worth, that the DMK wanted surface transport, power, IT, telecom, railways and health.

…

RADIA: You see, you see my honest advice…

BARKHA: Yeah.

RADIA: ..is that you tell them that they need to tell him directly that we are happy because Kani’s [Kanimozhi, DMK Chief Karunanidhi’s daughter] got no issue being about independent. But Alagiri is now telling her that you cannot take an independent charge if Maran remains cabinet minister.

BARKHA: I see.

RADIA: And Congress is sending messages through media and through various sources, saying that. And Maran is telling everyone that he is the only acceptable person.

BARKHA: Person, yeah, yeah, yeah. That I know.

RADIA: But that’s not correct, naa?

BARKHA: No, I know. We’ve taken that off. We’ve taken that off.

…

BARKHA: Also, but, but the Congress needs to tell Karunanidhi that we have not said anything about Maran.

BARKHA: Okay. Let me talk to them again.

RADIA: Yeah? The choice of candidate we will leave to you. We have some reservation about Baalu. And let them tell the reservation. And we have not said anything about Maran. We are not talking

In another telecon, Barkha Dutt offers Niira Radia the assurance that she is on the job as a reliable go-between

“That’s not a problem, I’ll talk to Azad. I’ll talk to Azad right after I get out of RCR” —BARKHA DUTT

DATE 22 May 2009 TIME 10:47:33

BARKHA: Haan, Niira?

RADIA: Barkha, what I’m told is that the Congress yesterday, apparently, God knows who they are talking to in the DMK.

BARKHA: Haan, well must be Maran…

RADIA: Relayed---no, they relayed that the infrastructure portfolio should not be given to Maran or Baalu.

BARKHA: No, that’s because they want to keep it for themselves.

RADIA: No, they wanted to; they didn’t want any infrastructure, that’s what Prime Minister said, so he said that’s why they give him labour, fertiliser, chemical---and telecom, IT, they said for Raja. So what has happened is, is that message not relayed to Karunanidhi?

BARKHA: Oh I see!

RADIA: They might have told some minion down the line or told Maran who is not relaying the truth.

BARKHA: I think they have told Maran.

RADIA: Yeah, now what they need to do is, they need to speak to Kani so she can set up the discussion with her father, because even the Prime Minister’s discussion was … she was the one who’s translating, and it was a very brief discussion for two minutes.

BARKHA: Okay.

RADIA: That we’ll try and work it out, and the let’s not you know take it a hasty easy decision. That’s the type of conversation that happened.

BARKHA: No, I’ll set it up as soon as they get out of RCR.

RADIA: What she saying is that, you know, that someone senior like Ghulam [Nabi Azad, senior Congress leader]---because he is the one who is authorised to speak. ….

BARKHA: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

RADIA: Right? Was to speak to her then she can tell her father that I have got this message from the Congress.

BARKHA: Theek hai, not a problem. That’s not a problem, I’ll talk to Azad---I’ll talk to Azad right after I get out of RCR [Race Course Road, presumably, the PM’s residence].

RADIA: Yeah, and then she said when father lands, I can speak to him.

BARKHA: Okay.

The two conversationalists touch base again

“I’ve had a long chat, I had a long chat, and they promised me that Azad will speak to her” —BARKHA DUTT

DATE 22 May 2009 TIME 15:31:29

RADIA: They will speak to her?

BARKHA: Yeah.

RADIA: Who? Ghulam?

BARKHA: Ghulam. Yeah.

RADIA: You know, the problem is she’s catching a flight at five haan, going back. Dayanidhi Maran is attending the swearing in when only Raja has been authorised to attend, so he’s gone and told his leader that Ahmed Patel has told me especially to attend the swearing in.

BARKHA: Ahmed says this is rubbish …

RADIA: But I am telling you but this. Karunanidhi’s very confused.

BARKHA: No, but why can’t Kani stay also and attend it?

RADIA: She doesn’t want to attend no because her father told her to come back. She has to follow what she’s father says, no. Call Ghulam then.

BARKHA: Let me call him.

RADIA: She’s leaving at five. She’s catching a flight at five.

DATE 22 May 2009 TIME time 18:09:06

BARKHA: No, you see Congress’s condition is Baalu should not get surface transport. Not Baalu, DMK should not get surface transport, beyond individuals right?

RADIA: Correct, correct, and they are not individuals. Let me tell you one thing’s for sure, 3 plus 4 was yesterday; because of Maran, they wanted to make it 4 plus 3.

BARKHA: Okay!

RADIA: So, now it is back to 3 plus 4 that was already worked on the table?

BARKHA: No, so why does this formula not sound right then?

RADIA: Because of Alagiri naa, if you make Alagiri… not cabinet. No, he’s not got cabinet.

BARKHA: Oh, Alagiri got what, according to these things?

RADIA: You see, according to her, he’s got Health, but he can’t be cabinet. Either Maran is not cabinet, either Raja is not cabinet or Baalu’s not.

BARKHA: Alagiri’s got Health and that’s a big compromise by Congress because they said we won’t give them Health. So that’s their face saver. No, but Alagiri, Health can be cabinet?

RADIA: Agreed, but then Raja is MoS.

BARKHA: Raja is MoS!

RADIA: Then is Baalu MoS?

BARKHA: Nahin ho sakta. Nahin, nahin, nahin, if Baalu gets the Heavy Industries and Alagiri is in the Fertiliser, according to …. Baalu gets Fertilizer; Alagiri gets this thing, Health.

RADIA: Maran gets Telecom and IT.

BARKHA: Maran gets Telecom and IT. Raja gets demoted.

RADIA: Who gets…?

BARKHA: Raja. Nahin hoga?

RADIA: I am telling you nahin hai (laughing). Trust me, nahin hai.

BARKHA: Achcha, theek hai.

In yet another telecon, Barkha Dutt explains her situation to Niira Radia

“Everybody I know in the Congress was at the swearing-in, so I haven’t been able to speak with the top guys, and now I just finished and I am going to make my set of calls” BARKHA DUTT

DATE 22 May 2009 TIME 19:23:57

BARKHA: You see, what happened was everybody I know in the Congress was at the swearing in, so I haven’t been able to speak with the top guys, and now I just finished and I am going to make my set of calls.

RADIA: Kani just landed in Chennai. Just now. I just spoke…

BARKHA: Where is Daya? Where is Maran?

RADIA: Daya didn’t turn up for the swearing in because he was called back, because he went and told Karunanidhi that I have been asked by Ahmed Patel to come for the swearing in. But the leader said then you join the Congress.

BARKHA: (laughs) So now?

RADIA: So Raja was the only one who’s authorised to attend which he’s done and Raja’s catching the 8:40 flight...

BARKHA: Okay

Lobbying, Media and Others in the Telecom scam....

Reproduced below is an article by Girish Nikam. Similar articles abound on the net but not in the mainstream media. Some of the media persons named even conduct shows on morality, corruption and continue to surprise us:

The Radia Papers– Raja, Tata, Ambani connection

By Girish Nikam, May 12, 2010.

“For the last nearly a month, the name of Nira Radia has been in circulation. Two publications, Outlook and The Pioneer, raised the issue first almost simultaneously. While Outlook concentrated on the issue of phone tapping, Pioneer, referred to the larger issue of the connections between Radia and Telecom Minister A.Raja, and how the latter used the former to get back the Telecom portfolio after the formation of UPA II last year.

In normal circumstances, a story like this should have had the entire media hounding the Government and the players whose names had been mentioned in these stories. Just a few days before this, remember how Sunanda Pushkar and former Union Minister of State, Shashi Tharoor were hounded?

......Except for a couple of publications, like Mail Today and Outlook, none of the print publications have followed up on what seems to be one of the biggest scandals in this country, for a very long time.

..... The reason for the media to have played shy of this scandal also comes out in these papers. Some of the most important and powerful media Houses and personalities, seem to be caught in the Radia web. The names of two of the biggest media stars, Vir Sanghvi and Barkha Dutt are also mentioned in these conversations, about their effort to assist Radia, to ensure Raja becomes the Telecom Minister. There is also a mention of how Radia has been managing the media.

There are also issues relating to cross-border transfer of funds, both legally and illegally.” 

Read the fully story at: http://indiasreport.com/magazine/data/the-radia-papers-raja-tata-ambani-connection/