A.
Raja
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In this Indian name, the name "Andimuthu" is a patronymic, not a family name, and the
person should be referred to by the given name, "Raja".
Andimuthu Raja
Ex-Minister
Preceded by Dayanidhi Maran
Constituency Nilgiris
Born 10 May 1963 (age 47)
Perambalur, Tamil Nadu,India
Political party DMK
Spouse(s) M.A. Parameswari
Children Mayuri Raja
Residence Perambalur
Religion Hindu
As of September 22, 2006
Source: [1]
A. Raja (Tamil: ஆ. ராஜா) (ஆண்டிமுத்து ராஜா) (born May 10, 1963, Perambalur, Tamil
Nadu, India) is an Indian politician from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam(DMK) political party.
He is a member of the 15th Lok Sabha representing the Nilgiris constituency of Tamil Nadu. Raja
was first elected to theLok Sabha in 1996 and first served as minister of state from 1999 to 2003.
On being re-elected to the Lok Sabha in 2004, he became a cabinet minister in the UPA
government. In 2007, he became cabinet minister for communication and information
technology. On being re-elected in 2009 he was again appointed cabinet minister for
communication and information technology until being tainted in the 2G spectrum scam and
resigning in 2010.
Contents
[hide]
• 1 Resignations
• 2 Spectrum Scandal
• 3 References
• 4 External links
[edit]Resignations
On October 17, 2008 he submitted his post-dated resignation to the D.M.K party chief M.
Karunanidhi over the killings of Tamil civilians in Sri Lanka.[1] His resignation was a part of the
mass resignation of all the D.M.K ministers forming a part of the coalition UPA central
government.
On November 14, 2010, he announced that he would step down [2] from his cabinet post, over
the 2G spectrum allocation scandal.
[edit]Spectrum Scandal
Main article: 2G spectrum scam
Further information: Nira Radia tapes controversy
The 2G spectrum financial scandal in the Telecommunications and IT Ministry under A.Raja is
noteworthy as the largest political corruption case in modern Indian history, amounting to a
record $40 billion loss from underpricing to the Government of India.[citation needed] The
alleged modus operandi was telecom bandwidth being grossly undervalued and offered to a
chosen few with vested interests, on a dubious 'First-Come-First-Served' basis. It is alleged that
it should have been put under a transparent auction system, purportedly advised by higher office.
The bandwidth-spectrum allocation of 2G bandwidth had later come under criticism for gross
irregularities. An FIR filed by the CBI claims that the allocation was not done as per market
prices, resulting in a scam worth 200 crore (US$43.4 million).[3] However it had been alleged
by Arun Jaitley of Bhartiya Janata Party that the scam is worth around
176,000 crore (US$38.19 billion). The Comptroller and Auditor General holds Raja personally
responsible for the sale of 2G spectrum at 2001 rates in 2008, resulting the previously mentioned
loss of up to Rs. 1.76 lakh crores (US$40 billion) to the national exchequer. [4] In August, 2010,
evidence was submitted by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) showing that Raja had
personally signed and approved the majority of the questionable allocations.[5] Although the
political opposition was demanding his resignation over the 2G spectrum scam, Raja initially
refused to resign stating his innocence, and this view was backed by his party
president M.Karunanidhi.[6]
The financial scam eventually led to Raja's resignation [7] on the 14th of November, 2010. There
will be further criminal investigation and action on Raja with reports being filed by the Comptroller
and Auditor General (CAG) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
[edit]References
1. ^ 14 DMK MPs hand in resignation letters - India - DNA
2. ^ 2G scam: Raja resigns, DMK says it's still part of Union Government
3. ^ "Raja faces heat as CBI raids DoT on 2G scam". India Today. October 23, 2009.
Retrieved 2009-11-08.
4. ^ Singh, Shalini (28 October 2009). "BJP takes on Raja over telecom spectrum
scam". Times of India. Retrieved 2009-11-08.
5. ^ Joseph, Josy (August 30, 2010). "CAG draft report nails Raja role in 2G scam". The
Times Of India.
6. ^ "Raja adamant, says won't step down, ready for probe". The Times Of India. November
12, 2010.
7. ^ DMK blinks, Raja quits - Hindustan Times
[edit]External links
Members of Fourteenth Lok Sabha - Parliament of India website
Political offices
Minister of Communications and
Preceded by Succeeded by
Information Technology
Dayanidhi Maran Kapil Sibal
2007-10
Categories: Living people | Indian Tamil people | 1963 births | 14th Lok Sabha members | 15th
Lok Sabha members | Members of the Cabinet of India | Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam
politicians | Union Ministers from Tamil Nadu | Members of Parliament from Tamil Nadu
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• This page was last modified on 16 January 2011 at 08:13.
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