Will Maran resign today?

NEW DELHI, INDIA: Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran's continuation in the cabinet looked shaky on Wednesday as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) told the Supreme Court about his role in the 2G spectrum scam and his rivals, led by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, demanded his dismissal.

In a status report on the 2G spectrum case submitted to the apex court Wednesday, the CBI pointed the finger at Maran for the delaying of telecom company Aircel's application for 2G licence and forcing it to be sold to Malaysian company Maxis, when Maran was the Communications minister in 2006.

Sources said that the Congress leadership was watching the crucial developments and assessing the political fallout. Following the CBI report, the Congress Core Committee met here and reportedly discussed the controversy. The meeting was held at the 7, Race Course Road residence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Congress to consult DMK

Congress sources said after the meeting that the party will consult the DMK before taking a decision on continuation of Maran in the council of ministers.

"Now it appears Maran is losing all chances. The understanding between the Congress and Maran's DMK party was that Maran would have to go if the probe agencies or courts take cognizance of the allegations against him. With the CBI report today, that stage has come," a Congress leader, who declined to be identified, told IANS.

Meanwhile, Jayalalithaa, who was in the national capital for a meeting with the Planning Commission, lashed out at Maran and demanded his sacking.

"It is high time the Prime Minister dropped Maran from the cabinet," she told reporters.

The Chief Minister said the state government would order a probe into the allegation that Maran had facilitated unauthorized BSNL cables for the use of Sun Direct, the family-owned DTH company in Chennai.

The BJP also upped the ante and demanded the sacking of Maran. Party spokesperson Niramala Sitharaman told IANS: "Maran has no right to continue in the post for even a day."

The CBI on Wednesday told the apex court bench of Justice G.S. Singhvi and Justice A.K. Ganguly that it needed more time to complete its investigation in the 2G spectrum scam.

The court was told that the investigative agency would require time till August 31.

Maxis Communication - owned by Maran's Malaysia-based friend Anand Krishnan - through its subsidiary Astro, invested around Rs.600 crore in Sun DTH belonging to Sun TV Network owned by Maran's family, it has been alleged.

In this connection, last month Aircel founder Sivasankaran had told CBI that Maran forced him to sell the company to Ananda Krishnan's firm Maxis. However, Maran denied allegations. But, with the new status report from CBI, it seems that Maran too may follow the paths of Raja. 

"Dayanidhi Maran is under the scanner, probe is going on," K.K. Venugopal, lawyer for the Central Bureau of Investigation,told the Supreme Court. "There was an element of coercion."

The move may further strain relations between the ruling Congress party and DMK, whose 18 lawmakers give the coalition government a narrow majority in parliament. But with the DMK out of power in its southern stronghold state of Tamil Nadu, few expect it to pull out of the government.

The case has already claimed another former telecoms minister, a DMK lawmaker and several business executives, who are all in jail pending trial and who have denied any wrongdoing.

A raft of corruption scandals in Singh's second term has paralysed policymaking in Asia's third-largest economy and diverted attention away from nurturing sluggish growth and pushing forward much-needed economic reforms.

(With inputs from Reuters)