Did Not Use Office to Enrich Myself: Former PM Manmohan Singh

New Delhi:  Accused by former aides and colleagues of permissiveness towards corruption in his government, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said, “I have not used my public office to enrich myself, my family members of my friends.”

Dr Singh’s assertion comes a day after Pradeep Baijal, the former head of the country’s telecom regulator, said that Dr Singh asked him not to obstruct policies that were being implemented to allow a massive scam in the allocation of mobile network licenses in 2009.

Mr Baijal told NDTV yesterday that Dr Singh knew the ground for the swindle was being laid by former Telecom Minister Dayanidhi Maran. When Mr Baijal, head of TRAI, the telecom regulator, allegedly red-flagged Mr Maran’s first-come-first-serve policy for licenses as a disaster waiting to happen, the PM allegedly replied, “Why are you not cooperating with the minister?”

Years later, the first-come-first-serve rules would be heavily twisted to cost the country Rs 1.76 lakh crore, according to the national auditor. The “2G scam”, named for second-generation airwaves involved, has led to Mr Maran’s successor, former Telecom Minister A Raja, being charged with criminal conspiracy and corruption. Several top executives from India’s best-known telecoms are being tried along with Mr Raja.