NEW DELHI: Accusing the previous UPA regime of cover-up in the Aircel-maxis deal, the AIADMK on Wednesday demanded that the CBI probe the role of former Finance Minister P Chidambaram and his son in the deal. Raising the issue during Zero Hour in the Lok Sabha, AIADMK leader M Thambidurai alleged that the CBI was unnecessarily delaying the questioning of Chidambaram. Without mentioning his name directly, the AIADMK charged that in 2006, Chidambaram cleared the taking over of Aircel by Maxis, by dubious ways, in violation of several mandatory provisions of law. “One major violation is that Maxis declared to the Malaysian Stock Exchange that it had acquired 99.7 per cent shares in Aircel. This is in violation of Indian Law, which permits only a maximum of 74 per cent foreign investment in the telecom sector,” Thambidurai claimed.
Amid protests by the Congress MPs, Thambidurai asked the government and the CBI to take serious action and interrogate the former Finance Minister and his son. Recently, Attorney General Mukul Rohtagi told the CBI that there was enough evidence with the investigative agency to file chargesheets against Dayanidhi Maran and Kalanidhi Maran in the deal.