Some compromises made, I am not quitting half-way: PM

New Delhi, Feb 16 (PTI) With his government's image
dented over a rash of scams, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh on Wednesday conceded that he had to make "some
compromises" to run a coalition but ruled out quitting
"half-way".
He declared that his government was "dead serious in
bringing to book all the wrongdoers regardless of the position
they occupy" with regard to 2G spectrum allocation, CWG, ISRO
spectrum allocation and Adarsh Housing scams.
In his 70-minute interaction with TV editors here, he
asserted that his government was not lame-duck nor was he a
lame-duck Prime Minister although he admitted that there were
"weaknesses of processes in governance" and the "quality of
governance" needed to be improved.
On the controversial 2G spectrum allocation, he made it
clear that it was done "exclusively" by the Telecom Ministry
under A Raja and he or the Cabinet had nothing to do with the
first-come first-serve policy adopted.
His hands were also tied by "coalition politics" over the
re-induction of Raja into the Cabinet in 2009 despite
complaints against him, Singh said.
Giving clearest signals that the government is willing to
have a JPC probe into 2G scam, the Prime Minister said all
efforts were being made to ensure smooth functioning of the
upcoming Budget session of Parliament and talks were underway
in this regard with the Opposition.
He said he was "not afraid" of facing any committee,
including a Joint Parliamentary Committee, on 2G scam and
dismissed suggestions that he was blocking an agreement with
the Opposition on formation of JPC because he was reluctant to
appear before it.
During the interaction, Singh fielded questions on a
range of issues, predominantly related to corruption that has
clouded his government in the recent months.
"I am conscious about personal responsibility. I feel
about it. My compulsion is that I have to bear a lot because
we cannot have elections in every six months," he said when
asked to reflect upon the happenings in the government.
"Some compromises have to be made in managing a
coalition. A coalition government has to be viewed in a
context that no single party has emerged to rule by itself,"
he said.
Asked if he ever thought of quitting "frustrated that he
was surrounded by a lot of corrupt people", Singh said "in a
coalition, there is a coalition dharma. Obviously, things are
not entirely what I would like them to be. But quite frankly,
I never felt like resigning. I have a job to do.
"The country voted our party to be the leader of the UPA
coalition and we have lot of unfinished tasks to be
accomplished. I have never felt of giving up halfway. I will
stay the course. I never thought of resigning," he said.
"I don't say I have never made any mistake. But I am not
that big a culprit as being made out to be," he said in reply
to a question.
On the 2G scam over which his government has come under a
lot of attack, the Prime Minister said the controversial
decision to allocate licenses on first-come first-serve basis
was exclusively dealt with by the Telecom Ministry and the
matter were "never referred to me or the Cabinet".
"It was the exclusive decision of the Telecom Ministry.
Therefore, I did not think I should intervene," he said.
Singh said he had conveyed to Raja, in a letter in
November 2007, concerns with regard to 2G spectrum allocation
and he had assured him that everything was being done in a
transparent manner.
The Prime Minister said he did not press the matter
further after the Ministries of Finance and Telecom agreed on
the mode of issuing licenses, supported by TRAI and Telecom
Commission.
Asked why Raja was re-inducted in the Cabinet in 2009
despite complaints against him, Singh said in a coalition, it
was not in his hands as to who should be inducted from a
coalition partner.
"I cannot divulge what happened during Cabinet formation.
We are a coalition government. In a coalition, we can suggest
our preferences but you have to go by what the leader of the
coalition party insists on who should be in the government,"
he said.
"Raja and (Dayanidhi) Maran were the choice of DMK and at
that moment, I had no reason to feel that anything seriously
wrong has been done. I did not feel that I had the authority
to object to Raja's entry although complaints were coming from
some companies who were not benefited and some who had not
benefited adequately.
"I was not in a position to make up by mind that
something seriously was wrong that Raja was doing at that
time," Singh said.
In his opening remarks, the Prime Minister referred to
the media expose of various scams including the Commonwealth
Games, ISRO deal, Adarsh housing affairs but asked the media
not to give an image that India was a scam-driven country and
nothing good was happening.
He said that such an image would weaken the
self-confidence of the people and it would not be in the
interest of the country.
"I wish to assure the country as a whole that our
government is dead serious about bringing to book all
wrongdoers regardless of the position they occupy," he said.
Asked about his biggest regret in UPA-II, Singh referred
to "these irregularities" and said "They should not have
happened. I am not very happy about these developments".
To a specific question whether he would be ready to be
projected as Prime Ministerial candidate in the next
elections, Singh said "it is too early. We still have a long
way to go. I have to complete this term. It is too premature
to speculate who would be the Prime Ministerial candidate."
He was asked whether he was feeling bad as certain
embarrassing things were happening which were not in tune with
his nature.
"I have looked upon life as a learning and re-learning
process. It has been a great educational experience from civil
service to academic world to political world. This process of
learning, I relish that", he replied.
When told that he was an honest Prime Minister
surrounded by dishonest administration and a sense of drift
was prevailing, he said after the budget session, there will
be a restructuring and reshuffling of his cabinet.
"I will get back to the exercise once the budget session
is over", he said.
To a question on Home Minister P Chidambaram's comments
on governance deficit, he admitted, "obviously, some events
have brought out the weaknesses in governance and processes, I
think we need to improve the quality of governance. But that
does not divide me and other members of the government."
He rejected a questioner's suggestion that his
government was facing double-incumbency of attacks from the
opposition and within the party.
"I do not get that impression (party not backing him).
In a democracy, there are views and discussions and when
decisions are taken, our party stands united in support of the
government.
"I would like a cohesive party to support the government
but I am not saying it is not happening," he said.
He virtually disagreed with the CAG calculations on the
loss figure of Rs 1.76 lakh crore in the 2G scam saying the
CAG itself had called it presumptive.
There are various methods of computing the figures and
went on to question whether the Rs 80,000 crore being spent on
foodgrain subsidy, Rs 60,000 crore on fertilisers and subsidy
on kerosene could be called as loss.
He was replying to a question whether he agreed with
Telecom minister Kapil Sibal's description of zero loss in the
2G scam.
Asked whether the government would agree to the JPC on 2G
scam, he said "full efforts are being undertaken to see that
some way will be found (to ensure that Parliament functions).
I hope it will happen."
When a questioner asked whether he was ready for a JPC
and whether it was not being formed because he was reluctant
appear before it, he said "my position is that I am not afraid
of appearing before any committee. The PAC is a joint
parliamentary committee, presided over a senior member of the
opposition.
"I am fully prepared to appear before any committee
including a JPC. It is entirely wrong for an impression to go
that I was the one blocking it because I am afraid of
appearing before it. My conduct as a Prime Minister must be
like Caesar's wife should be above suspicion. I am ready to
appear before any committee", he said.
To a question about any rift within the UPA and whether
it would continue together, he said as far as the coalition
was concerned, "ours is a strong coalition and our allies are
strongly committed to strengthening the alliance. There is no
danger that inner tensions might break up this coalition".
On the controversial deal between Antrix, the commercial
arm of ISRO and a private firm Devas for allocation of S-band
spectrum, Singh said the deal has not been operationalised and
the Cabinet Committee on Security would soon take a decision
on terminating it, a decision on which was taken on July two
last year.
He also rebutted reports that the PMO was involved in
back channel discussions as late as November last year with
Devas even as a decision was taken to terminate it.
"I have not talked to anybody.... The PMO has not talked
to anybody. The German Foreign Minister who had a meeting with
me did not raise this issue."
He said different departments including the Law Ministry
have recommended termination of the contract but there were
only procedural delays in implementing it.