Can P Chidambaram survive the 2G Crisis: The March 25th 2011 Note and its implications

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The only lasting contribution of the Congress party school of Dynastic Fascism to Indian statecraft is the self destructive passion for factionalism and this talent was on full display in the recent eruption of conflict between P Chidambaram and Pranab Mukherjee. The victory, if it can be called so, was to Pranab Babu, the wily Bengali Bhadralok who made the dhoti clad Chettiyar from Tamil Nadu witness his humiliation before the whole nation on public T V. And that self confessed brain challenged Home Minister even says that he is "satisfied" and the "matter is closed". I say brain challenged because the morning's newspapers say the P Chidambaram suffers from "amnesia" a la Kalmadi.

The whole Nation is aware that Raja alone could not have carried out the 2G Spectrum Scam without the complicity of other powerful political personalities. The Cabinet decision was to refer Spectrum pricing to an Empowered Group of Ministers (GOM).The Finance Minister concurred with the Prime Minister's decision to withdraw the Spectrum pricing from the purview of the Group of Ministers. Now Shri Raja can claim on the basis of the March 25th Note the policy of issuing licences on the first come first served basis was taken with the full knowledge and concurrence of the entire Government of India. In his press conference, Shri Pranab Mukherjee has reiterated this fact before thae whole Nation with P Chidambaram standing behind him like a nervous school boy. With one fell stroke, P Chidambaram was exposed as an abettor in the 2G Spectrum Scam before the whole Nation and piece de resistance was the thanks from Chidambaram for this brilliant drama.

If we look at the political carreer of P Chidambaram we find that he was with the G K Moopen faction of the Tamil Nadu Congress and has been trined to put factional loyalties above Party, Dynasty, and Ideology. He was instrumental in having the office room of the then Finance mInister bugged and the reason behin the bugging, perhaps had something to do with the 2G Scandal. Anyway Shri Pranab Mukherjee never forgave this slight and like a true Bengali Babu waited for the opprotune time and struck a blow from which Chidambaram will not recover. The March 25th 2011 Note is a time bomb with a very slow burning fuse time only to explode in the face of Chidambaram. The questions that directly stem from the note are:

1 Why did the then Finance Minister concur with the First come First served basis fro pricing of scarce spectrum.

2 Why did the then Finance minister not insist that the NDA policy be reviewed and stall the pricing on the basis of the 2001 prices.

3 Why did the Finance Ministry agree to let the DOT do the processing of the licences bypassing TRAI.

4 Is there any difference in the positions taken by Raja who is now in Tihar jail ( a dalit and I have already pointed out this in an earlier blog) and the high cast P Chidambaram who is still the Home Minister of India, though his Sivagangai MP seat is likely to be struck down by the courts.

It is claer that Pranab Da has ensured the exit og P Chidambaram from the cabinet and his exit is only a matter of when and how.