Our Position Stands Vindicated: Kapil Sibal After 2G Case Verdict

Kapil Sibal lashed out at former CAG Vinod Rai and said that he should apologise to the nation.

Congress leader Kapil Sibal. 

(Photo: IANS)

Just minutes after former telecom minister A Raja and Kanimozhi were acquitted in the 2G spectrum case on Thursday, 21 December, Congress leader Kapil Sibal categorically told the media, “Our position stands vindicated”.

Dismissing the various charges in relation to the case, Sibal – who was also a former telecom minister – said:

Whatever I had said has been proved to be true today. There was no corruption, no loss. If there’s a scam, it’s a scam of lies. A scam of (former CAG) Vinod Rai and opposition’s lies. Vinod Rai should apologise to the nation.

Kapil Sibal

He further went on to assert that “the telecom sector is in dire straits today, thanks to Rai as well as the leaders of the opposition”.

Notably, Sibal had invited a swathe of criticism when he made a statement back in January 2011 that the 2G spectrum allocation had caused zero losses to the government.

But after the verdict on Thursday, Sibal lashed out at those who had criticised him for his ‘zero loss’ statement.

Those who criticised me for my ‘zero loss’ statement should also apologise. I speak after giving a lot of thought, not without any basis.

Kapil Sibal

Earlier in the day, Judge OP Saini read out a single-line verdict – “all acquitted of all charges” – in the 2G case. Supporters of the DMK, to which both Raja and Kanimozhi belong, reportedly broke into celebrations outside the court after the verdict was pronounced.

Former finance minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram also reacted on Thursday, telling ANI that the verdict proved that the allegations of a “2G scam” were untrue from the start.

Allegation of a major scam involving the highest levels of the government was never true, was not correct and that has been established today.

P Chidambaram

The trial for the case began six years ago in 2011, after the court framed charges against 17 accused, including Raja and Kanimozhi. According to Vinod Rai’s 2010 report, the so-called “scam” had caused a loss of Rs 1,760,000,000,000 to the public exchequer.