Ex-CAG Vinod Rai offers ‘unconditional apology’ to Sanjay Nirupam for 2G case remark

New Delhi: Former Comptroller and Auditor General Vinod Rai on Thursday tendered an “unconditional apology” in a letter in an affidavit to Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam after he filed a defamation case against the official over his remarks in the 2G spectrum case.

In 2014, Rai in an interview with several media organizations had mentioned the name of Sanjay Nirupam and said he pressurized him to keep the name of the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh out of the CAG report on spectrum allocation.

In his affidavit, Rai said, “The statement made by me against Sanjay Nirupam as, televised and published in a paper are factually incorrect.”

“I understand the pain and agony my statement has caused Sanjay Nirupam, his family, and his well-wishers and thus would like to offer my unconditional apology for the hurt caused by my such statements to Sanjay Nirupam, his family, friend, and his well-wishers,” he said.

The apology letter was shared by Nirupam on Twitter and he said, “Finally former CAG Vinod Rai tendered an unconditional apology to me in the defamation case filed by me in MM court, in Patalia Court, New Delhi today. He Must apologize to the nation now for all his forged report about 2G and Coal block allocations done by the UAP government.#vinodRai."

The alleged 2G spectrum allocation “scam” rocked the nation during the UPA government, which was headed by Manmohan Singh.

CAG, the auditing body of the country then headed by Vinod Rai, revealed 2G licenses had been issued to telecom operators at throwaway prices causing a loss of Rs 1.76 lakh crore to the exchequer.

However, a special court later acquitted former Telecom Minister A. Raja and DMK leader Kanimozhi the main accused in the 2G scam case. (UNI)