NEW DELHI: Former telecom minister A Raja’s private secretary Ashirvatham Acharya’s statement to the CBI detailed how Kalaignar TV was established and what role Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi had in it. He also said Raja was linked with the channel’s launch.
On Raja’s key role in establishing Kalaignar TV, Acharya had said: “I also know that during May 2007, the Maran Brothers (Dayanidhi and Kalanithi, owners of the Sun TV Network) had a tiff with family members of Shri M Karunanidhi and the DMK.”
“After that, the family of M Karunanidhi wanted to start a television channel of its own. Kalaignar TV was started in June 2007 and headed by Sharad Kumar, who was earlier working with Sun TV. The application for Kalaignar TV and other follow-up actions were carried out by Sharad Kumar.”
“In a way, Raja was entrusted with the work regarding follow-up work of getting clearances for KalaignarTV from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. For follow-up with work related to Kalaignar TV, on several occasions, Raja called on telephone Shri Priyaranjan Das Munshi, the Minister for I&B and his private secretary Manoj Kumar Aggarwal.”
“As and when directed by Raja, I was to connect his phone to both of them and he used to speak to them. He also helped Kalaignar TV to get its bouquet of channels cleared by the I&B Ministry,” his statement had said.
Acharya had also revealed Raja’s connection with Niira Radia, in seeking help for Kalaignar TV’s launch. He had said: “Raja also tried to get Kalaignar TV channel on the Tata Sky platform for which he was taking the help of Niira Radia who was representing the Tatas, regarding their related matters in the Department of Telecom. In this regard I was also made to hear a telephone call recording (by the CBI), dated 18/ 9/2008, in which Radia had called Raja’s office (a call) which I had attended.”
“She asked me to inform Raja that she had sorted out the Kalaignar TV problem on Tata Sky,” he had added.
Having extracted the information from Acharya, the CBI in its second chargesheet said, “Raja was further pursuing the cause of Kalaignar not only in getting registration of the company from the I&B Ministry, but also for getting it on the TATA sky bouquet.”