Aircel-Maxis deal row: BJP asks Chidambaram to define his family

New Delhi, May 10 (ANI): With Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram categorically rejecting all allegations that he and his son Karti were beneficiaries in an Aircel-Maxis telephony deal in 2006, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday asked the former to define his meaning of a family.

"Home Minister P. Chidambaram came to the Lok Sabha and gave a personal statement. In his comment, Chidambaram said that he and his family had no share in Aircel. We want to know what is his definition of a family. Is Karti Chidambaram a member of his family or not? Does he have five percent share in Aircel or not? The whole opposition wants to know this," said BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain.

Hussain further said that his party would raise this issue again, as it was not content with Chidambaram's response.

Repeating the statement that he had made inside parliament, Chidambaram earlier today said: "This morning, an honorable member of parliament (Yashwant Sinha) making a statement in the Lok Sabha, making an allegation against me and my family members. No notice was given to me. Either Rule 352 or 353. I took the permission of the chair to make a statement at 2 p.m. that the BJP and some others, whereas in the din, obviously they didn't wish to hear the reply. They tried to prevent me from making statement. The chair allowed me to make a statement."

Chidambaram quoted Karti, as saying: "I categorically state in this House that neither I, nor any member of family, had acquired or hold any shares of the telecom firm Maxis. The allegations against me are completely baseless."

Karti Chidambaram further said in his statement: "It was 'deeply regretted' that the privileged forum of parliament is misused to make wild and reckless allegations against a private citizen.

"I categorically state that neither I, nor any member of my family, have acquired or hold any share in any telecom company. In particular, I categorically state that neither I, nor any member of my family, have acquired or hold any share in either Aircel or Maxis," Karti said.

His remarks came after BJP leader Yashwant Sinha raised the issue of Aircel- Maxis deal in 2006, and alleged that Karti benefited from the deal when Chidambaram was finance minister.

"Prima facie what happened was a big scam and government should not hush it up," Sinha said, demanding a statement from Mukherjee, who is the Leader of the House, as also the Finance Minister.

Earlier, Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy, who had sought an investigation against Chidambaram for his alleged role in the 2G scam, made fresh allegations of corruption against Chidambaram's Karthi.

In a three-page letter dated April 24 to the Prime Minister, Swamy said that Chidambaram should be asked to resign as Home Minister and that the CBI should include him and his son, Karti, in its investigation on the Aircel-Maxis deal.

The CBI is already investigating DMK leader Dayanidhi Maran, the then Telecom Minister, in the case for allegedly misusing his office. (ANI)