2G claims another minister: Maran quits, DMK crisis deepens

Unfazed by the charges against Dayanidhi Maran that led to his exit from the union cabinet, DMK chief M. Karunanidhi today said the party would stand by him and attacked the media for the developments.

'Yes', was the emphatic reply given by Karunanidhi when asked by reporters whether his party would back Maran, hours after his grandnephew resigned making him the second DMK casualty after A. Raja in the 2G scam.

Karunanidhi had earlier said Maran would take care of himself after his name cropped up in the 2G scam issue for allegedly forcing telecom promoter C. Sivasankaran to sell his company Aircel to a Malaysian firm when he was the telecom minister in 2006.

Strongly criticising the media, Karunanidhi said: "In the whole world, especially in a country like India, the media is ruling and (it) can defame anyone. Dayanidhi Maran is no exception."

He replied in the negative when asked whether any one from the UPA Government got in touch with him ahead of Maran's resignation.

"I did not speak with (UPA Chairperson) Sonia Gandhi or any one last night," the DMK patriarch said.

"It is your imagination," he shot back, when asked whether he wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Maran's resignation.

The resignation

Textiles Minister Dayanidhi Maran resigned from the union cabinet, the second DMK minister after A. Raja to do so following allegations of involvement in the 2G spectrum scam.

Maran, 44, is reported to have submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after what turned out to be his last cabinet meeting, ending speculation over his fate in a government eager to cleanse its tainted image after a series of corruption allegations.

Sources said Manmohan Singh accepted the resignation after a brief meeting with key ministers - Pranab Mukherjee, P. Chidambaram, Kapil Sibal and M. Veerappa Moily - as well as Attorney General Goolam E. Vahanvati.

The meeting was called to study the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) 2G status report that was filed in the Supreme Court on Wednesday. The agency alleged that Maran forced telecom promoter C. Sivasankaran to sell his Aircel stake to the Malaysia-based Maxis group considered close to his family.

That was the proverbial nail in the coffin for Maran who was IT and communications minister before Raja.

Raja had quit in November 2010 and was jailed for his alleged involvement in financial irregularities in allotting second generation radio wave licences to mobile phone service providers. Another DMK leader, Karunanidhi's daughter and MP Kanimozhi, is also in prison for allegedly conspiring with Raja.

What they said

*These things are not solved by knee-jerk reaction... You have to seek clarifications from Maran...Why don't you ask CBI and Maran - Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Congress spokesperson

Why does the PM delay the removal of corrupt members of his team? Such delays put a question mark on the PM’s capability to act in time - Prakash Javadekar, BJP spokesperson

Maran’s resignation is too late. He should have done this long ago as the allegations are very serious. Now it is for the PM to explain to the people and to Parliament - D. Raja, CPI leader

Maran should be lodged in Tihar Jail. Rs 600 crore he gave to Sun TV, from pay-offs received from a Malaysian firm, for the spectrum, should be recovered from him - Swami Agnivesh, Social activist