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When Will CBI Arrest Raja ?

By Our Special Correspondent

With the DMK chief and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister announcing to the media that he will not dawdle to take action against Mr. A Raja if proved guilty on the 1.76 trillion rupee 2G spectrum scam it is almost certain the former telecommunication minister could be booked any time by the investigating agency, the CBI.  Though the patriarch of the Dravidian party had yesterday explicitly aired his displeasure towards the ruling Congress on the much expected raids at the residences of the Raja, his close relatives and alleged accomplice by the investigating agency, in a less than a day Karunanidhi changed his posture saying “”We will take action without any hesitation if Raja is found guilty,”

This is not the first instance the DMK supremo took a last minute ‘U’ turn in the Raja episode. When the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had in his report squarely accused Raja for the 2G Spectrum embezzlement and the report was laid on the table of the Parliament, there was a clear indication from the ruling Congress to its coalition partner to withdraw its representative as Mr. Raja was the eye of the 2G spectrum storm. But Karunanidhi, without a second thought came out in the middle to bat for his protégé.  Announcing aloud that there was no question of Raja quitting the Telecom ministry Karunanidhi said; “He (Raja) is not a criminal. He just went by the procedures set by his predecessors Pramod Mahajan and Arun Shourie of the previous NDA Government. When he has followed the rules, how can you say Raja flouted the rules?”  The DMK chief maintained the same tempo till late evening on November 14th, 2010 when he asked Raja to step down.

After the open offer from AIADMK chief J Jayalaitha to support the UPA Government in the event of DMK threatening to withdraw support the congress sprung into action with verve and conveyed the loud message that DMK had to withdraw its controversial minister, and Karunanidhi succumbed.

Yesterday when the CBI raided Raj’s residences and there were enough indication available from the investigating agency that they could book the former minister to quiz, Karunanidhi appeared displeased against the Congress. He said, “Raja has done no wrong. We will continue to support him.” After a second thought he changed the posture saying, “If Raja is found guilty, the party will throw him out.”

For now at least, Karunanidhi may wish to down play the Raja episode, even if the CBI intends to book him for 2G Spectrum probe. The land allotment scam, that has erupted recently, is likely hunt the ruling DMK, that too when the assembly polls are just months away. So it is but natural, Octogenarian Dravida leader does not wish to antagonize his senior partner at the Centre. Better sacrifice the close ally, for a ‘better’, cause.

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