Ex-CAG Vinod Rai Apologizes to Sanjay Nirupam for 2G Claim, Congressman Says “Golden Day”

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File image of Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam (L) and former CAG Vinod Rai

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Mumbai: Former Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Vinod Rai issued an “unconditional apology” to Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam, seven years after he alleged that the former MP lobbied him over the case 2G spectrum allocation.

Rai apologized in the form of a notarized affidavit in a libel case that Nirupam had filed against him.

In 2014, Rai, in interviews with the media, named Nirupam as one of the MPs who pressured him to not include the name of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in his report on the case. 2G spectrum allocation. Media interviews were broadcast and published at the time of the release of Rai’s book, Not Just an Accountant: The Diary of the Nation’s Conscience Keeper.

Nirupam tweeted a copy of the affidavit on Thursday, claiming that Rai “must now apologize to the nation for all of his false reports on 2G and coal block allocations made by the UPA government (United Progressive Alliance)”.

Finally, former CAG Vinod Rai has given me an unconditional apology in a libel case filed by me in MM Court, Patiyala House, New Delhi today. UPA Govt. # VinodRai pic.twitter.com/OdxwZXonCq

– Sanjay Nirupam (@sanjaynirupam) October 28, 2021

Rai served as the CAG when an audit of coal allocations was carried out and irregularities were reportedly discovered. It was also his report that led to allegations of lakhs de crores of “notional loss” in the 2G scam allowance.

“Understand the pain and agony my statements have caused”

In the affidavit, notarized on October 23 of this year, Rai said he made certain statements against Nirupam in September 2014 during media interviews broadcast on the Times Now news channel and published in media publications. such as The Times of India and The Indian Express, following the launch of his book.

“I realized that in the answers to the questions put to me by the interviewers, I had inadvertently and mistakenly mentioned the name of Shri Sanjay Nirupam as one of the MPs, which pressured me to that the name of the then Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, was not on the list. CAG report on allocation of 2G spectrum at PAC (Public Accounts Committee) meetings or on the sidelines of JPC (Joint Parliamentary Committee) etc, ”Rai said in the affidavit, adding that the televised and published statements were “Factually incorrect”.

“I understand the pain and agony that my statements have caused Shri Sanjay Nirupam, his family and his supporters and therefore I would like to apologize unconditionally for the harm caused by my such statements to Shri Sanjay Nirupam, his family, his friends and supporters, ”said Rai.

“I hope that Shri Sanjay Nirupam will consider and accept my aforementioned unconditional apologies and close this issue,” he added.

“Must apologize to the nation for the absurd coal, reports 2G”

In a video statement posted to Nirupam’s social media accounts, he praised Rai’s apology, calling it a “golden day.” He said he also urged the former CAG to retract his 2014 statements, but he did not agree.

Nirupam also called Rai’s entire report on the coal block and the 2G spectrum allocation cases “bogus”.

“The tribunal did not say that, but I would like to say that the report it prepared in the case of the allocation of 2G spectrum and the allocation of the coal block was nonsense,” said Nirupam.

“In the case of the 2G report, after seven years of hearing, the judge said the CBI had provided no evidence of the alleged scam. The report was wrong. The coal block allocation report was also wrong. Vinod Rai should also apologize for these false reports, not to me but to the whole country, ”he added.

(Edited by Sunanda Ranjan)

Also read: 2G scam verdict is rare nonsense

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