NEW DELHI: Former Telecom Minister and DMK MP A Raja today told a court, trying the 2G spectrum case here, that his first priority was to present his case before a judicial fora instead of attending the Parliament.
Raja said he could only plead his case with the court and not before the Lok Sabha Speaker or the Prime Minister as such he was in the hands of the judges.
"I can present my case before the lordships (judges) only but what can I do before the Speaker or the Prime Minister," Raja, the key accused facing trial in the case, told Special CBI Judge O P Saini.
Raja said it as his counsel Sushil Kumar sought adjournment in the post lunch session saying that he had to go to the Supreme Court to attend the hearing of the 2G case there, while the court remarked that it "could have sent Raja to the Parliament but he did not want to go there."
"Please adjourn the matter after 2 PM as I have to go to the Supreme Court to attend the same case. I have earlier requested you (judge) to let Raja also go to the Supreme Court but you had denied," Kumar told the court.
The judge, however, allowed Kumar's plea and adjourned the matter for the day after recording former Telecom Secretary D S Mathur's statement till lunch. The judge, however, added that he would not allow such practice in future.
"This should not become the precedence that others would also seek adjournment on the ground that they have to go here and there. I will allow this only off and on," the judge said.
The court earlier had allowed DMK MP Kanimozhi, who is also facing trial in the case, to attend the Budget Session of the Parliament.