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Maran should resign, say BJP, Jayalalithaa

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CIOL Bureau
New Update

publive-imageNEW DELHI, INDIA: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday demanded that Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran quit the cabinet for alleged involvement in getting a 2G licence for private operator Aircel when he was telecom minister from May 2004 to May 2007. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa also made a similar demand.

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The demand is based on the allegation that his official decisions as telecommunications minister had indirectly benefited his brother's company.

"He (Maran) should resign or the PM should sack him," BJP spokesperson Jagat Prakash Nadda told reporters here.

Nadda said the party had written to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) director asking it to clarify Maran's alleged role in a deal that Aircel struck with Malaysia's Maxis.

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According to BJP spokesperson Ravishankar Prasad, Malaysian company Maxis Communication bought 74 per cent stake in Aircel when Maran was the telecom minister and the company was later allotted more circles to operate. Maxis Communication through its subsidiary Astro invested around Rs.600 crore in Sun DTH belonging to Sun TV Network.

A recent report in Tehelka magazine claimed that Maran in 2006 deliberately delayed clearing the license to certain companies.

The report also said the delay pressurized Aircel to strike a deal with Maxis, which invested in the Maran family-owned Sun TV.

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Maran should face law: Jaya

Meanwhile, while speaking to reporters in Chennai, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa said that the Prime Minister should ask for Dayanidhi Maran's resignation from the cabinet.

“I am sure the Prime Minister would have asked. Maran should resign and face the legal proceedings,” said Jayalalithaa.

Former telecom minister and DMK MP A. Raja, Karunanidhi's daughter and Rajyasabha MP Kanimozhi and a few telecom officials are in jail in connection with the 2G scam which relates to alleged irregularities in the allocation of spectrum to telecom companies.

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