Ex-CAG tenders apology to Sanjay Nirupam for ‘factually incorrect’ accusations
In his affidavit he said his charges against Sanjay Nirupam were factually incorrect.
Former Comptroller and Auditor General of India Vinod Rai tendered an unconditional apology to Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam on Thursday in response to a defamation case filed by the latter on Rai’s claim that he was pressured by Nirupam and other lawmakers to keep former PM Manmohan Singh’s name out of the government auditor’s report on 2G spectrum auctions.
“...The statements made by me against Shri Sanjay Nirupam, as televised and published ... are factually incorrect. …I understand the pain and agony my statements have caused to Shri Sanjay Nirupam , his family and his well-wishers and thus, would like to offer my unconditional apology for the hurt caused by my such statements to Shri Sanjay Nirupam, his family, friends and his well-wishers,” Rai’s statement (in the form of an affidavit) read.
Rai did not respond to HT’s messages seeking comment.
Former MP Sanjay Nirupam on Thursday tweeted, “Finally former CAG Vinod Rai tendered an unconditional apology to me in a defamation case filed by me in MM Court, Patiala house, New Delhi today. He must apologize to the nation now for all his forged reports about 2G and Coal block allocations done by the UPA Govt.”
Rai’s report on the notional losses incurred by the exchequer in the 2G spectrum and coal block auctions -- ₹1.76 lakh crore and ₹1.86 lakh crore respectively -- caused a stir when they were released in 2011 and 2012 respectively. In 2014, the Congress-led UPA was voted out of power for corruption and misgovernance. In 2014, Vinod Rai said in multiple interviews that Nirupam was one of the MPs who pressured him to keep then PM Manmohan Singh’s name out of the CAG report on 2-G Spectrum allocation.
In his affidavit he said his charges against Nirupam were factually incorrect.
“I have realised that, in answer to questions posed to me by the interviewers, I had inadvertently and wrongly mentioned the name of Shri Sanjay Nirupam as one of the MPs, who pressurised me to keep the then Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh’s name out of the CAG report on 2-G Spectrum allocation during the meetings in the PAC or the sidelines of the JPC etc.”
A jubilant Nirupam also put out a video where he said, “Today is a great day as former CAG Vinod Rai has provided an unconditional apology to me for his false claim that I pressured him to keep PM Singh’s name out of the 2G spectrum report.” He further remarked that Rai’s reports on the 2G spectrum and coal block allocation were “nonesense”, saying that “after several hearings spanning across seven years on the 2G report, the court also noted that there was no evidence of a scam.” “The entire report was fabricated, and Vinod Rai must also tender an apology to the entire nation for these false reports,” he added.
