Radia batted for Raja, courtesy politicians, corporate honchos

New Delhi: Corporate lobbyist Niira Radia had hobnobbed with politicians, including DMK MP Kanimozhi, and captains of industry to ensure A Raja retains the Telecom portfolio after 2009 general elections, said the documents placed by CBI in a court here in connection with 2G spectrum scam case. Radia’s proximity with politicians, corporate honchos, and journalists, who allegedly played active role in the quest for lobbying for telecom portfolio, becomes evident from her own statements made before the investigating agency. The statements, which forms part of the charge sheet filed by CBI in 2G case, said Radia discussed the “permutation” and “combination” about the induction of Raja as Telecom Minister while cautioning him to distance himself from Reliance ADAG supremo Anil Ambani. [caption id=“attachment_41655” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Screen grab from ibnlive.com”] [/caption] She had also talked with Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman of Bharti Airtel, for securing the cabinet berth for Raja for which Kanimozhi was suggested by her to play a proactive role as information was provided to her by NDTV Group Editor Barkha Dutt and other journalists about confusion that existed in DMK and Congress for formation of the cabinet. “I state that I had this conversation with Kanimozhi, Karunanidhi after results of general elections 2009. The talk was about general factionalism within DMK and the internal politics. I was suggesting to her to take a more proactive role within the party and with her father for the unity and also for her own career,” Niira Radia, Chairperson of Vaishnavi Communication, told CBI. “We also discussed the permutation and combination about induction of A Raja as Telecom Minister,” she said in her statement recorded by CBI. Apart from Kanimozhi and Raja, Radia also told CBI of being in talks with Sunil Mittal about Raja’s cabinet berth.  She said Raja had told her that nobody outside DMK could interfere in the process.  “I also referred my conversation with Sunil Mittal of Bharti Airtel who conveyed that Anil Ambani was lobbying that Raja should be given the portfolio but Raja had strongly reacted to the same saying what nonsense he was spreading because in DMK beyond Kalaignar nobody can take such a decision.” CBI provided the transcript of conversations between Radia and others to the court and in one of them when Raja asked her to tell Mittal that he has to work with him for five years without causing any “mess”, the corporate lobbyist shot back to the DMK leader asking him to “distance” himself from Anil Ambani. Radia told CBI that she was keenly watching the factionalism and the politics in DMK. PTI