Former solicitor general Gopal Subramaniam Wednesday took on the CBI for linking him to the 2G scam and the Niira Radia phone tapes in its report to the law ministry, saying the observations were "brazenly false"."I am a victim of stories planted in different parts of the media... I do not wish that my character be questioned by the executive government, that too by clients, viz., the Intelligence Bureau, the Central Bureau of Investigation, cabinet secretariat, who have actually sought my advice for 30 years," Subramaniam told Times Now channel.He rubbished reports that he, as solicitor general during the UPA government, met the lawyer for 2G scam accused former telecom minister A. Raja in his office.Accusing the CBI of furnishing a "truly unacceptable" observation, Subramaniam said he had already been exonerated in the matter.
"On May 15, this was disclosed to me by none other than the CJI (chief justice of India) that there was a complete integrity check and there was a clear IB report."Now immediately after a new government comes in, you find that the CBI has given a mandate," Subramaniam said, alluding that the CBI report was a pretext to stop his elevation as apex court judge.He clarified that his meeting with Raja cannot be deemed controversial as Raja was not an accused in the 2G scam when he met him."I have met Raja only once in my life. That too he came as a minister accompanied by the secretary to the department of telecommunication. At that time, I had absolutely no information from anybody about this man being under the scanner," Subramaniam asserted.
He said that contrary to reports that he colluded with Raja, he advised then prime minister Manmohan Singh that the case against Raja in the matter of investigation and prosecution cannot be closed.Subramaniam also rubbished allegations that he relied on spiritual instinct rather than rationale or logic in the Padmanabhaswamy temple treasure hunt case, in which he prepared a 575-page report as the Supreme Court's amicus curiae."I find the comment simply unacceptable. I don't want the IB to judge whether a lawyer is rational or spiritual," he said.On his alleged connection in the Radia tape controversy, he said: "The Radia tapes were handed over by me to the Supreme Court. I was the one who wanted investigation into what was contained in those tapes."Former corporate lobbyist Niira Radia's phones were put under surveillance by the income-tax department after the finance ministry received an anonymous letter in 2007 alleging that in a short span of a few years she had built up a business valued at Rs.300 crore.