Kochi: Defence Minister A K Antony on Tursday said Congress would not allow political interference to hamper the probe in the 2G spectrum scam and severe action would be taken against those found guilty.
The CBI is investigating the 2G scam which is also being monitored by the Supreme Court, the Public Accounts Committee and the Joint Parliamentary Committee, Antony told a press conference in Kochi.
"There will not be any political interference in the investigation. CBI probe is going on. Let the report come out. Wait for JPC and PAC reports," he said, adding that severe action would be taken against those found guilty.
Replying to another question, he said he had no plans to resign from the Union Cabinet over the scams, including the CWG and Adarsh housing scams. "When there are allegations, Congress does not play hide and seek," he said.
When pointed out that he was campaigning 'aggressively' for the April 13 Kerala Assembly elections, Antony said he had to be active during crucial elections in his own state. "My roots are here. I cannot remain as an NRI in Delhi when a crucial election is in my state," he said.
"There is no change in my character. I am the same old A K Antony, I was the Chief Minister thrice. During election time I am a Congress man and not a Central Minister," he said.
State Congress leaders Oommen Chandy and Ramesh Chennithala are leading the campaign in the state. Taking a dig at Chief Minister V S Achtunandan, he said his "so-called" crusade against corrupt leaders and sexual exploiters was only a "smokescreen".
"During the last five years, how many corrupt cases have been filed and action taken? What action has been taken against mafia gangs?"
He said Achuthanandan was speaking the "language of Opposition leader" and CPM workers were also unhappy with his style of functioning. Antony said the present Kerala Chief Minister was one of the founder leaders of CPM, but he was removed from the Politburo while his juniors were still in it.
Antony said the LDF government was criticising the Central government despite various Central projects coming the state's way.
He said he would pursue the Kochi Metro Rail project and ensure that it becomes a reality. Describing the CPM slogans as "outdated" which the younger generation finds difficult to follow, the Union Minister said if the LDF front was re-elected to power, Kerala "will become another West Bengal where there is severe unemployment and was a failure on all fronts -- literacy, education, medical facilities".
Antony claimed that people from West Bengal were migrating to even villages in Kerala in search of jobs, adding that only 2 per cent of Muslims were in government jobs in West Bengal.
Asked who the Chief Minister would be if UDF is voted to power, Antony said, "We don't know who the next CM would be. After the elections, MLAs and (Congress) high command would decide. In the UDF there is no confusion about who will be the Chief Minister".
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