'Absolute lie', Sharad Pawar says about Radia's claim

Calling her statement an "absolutely lie", agriculture minister Sharad Pawar on Thursday rubbished corporate lobbyist Niira Radia's claim that he pursued the issue of spectrum with former communications minister A Raja. "This is absolutely lie and foolish statement and I have no financial or any interest in this company. The person Vinod Goenka … his father knows me from many years. He has set up a milk processing unit in my hometown 20 years back and that unit is going well," Pawar told a TV channel.

Radia in her statement to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday claimed that Pawar may be controlling controversial company DB Reality and may have pursued the issue of spectrum and licence for Swan Telecom with Raja.

She said Shahid Balwa and Vinod Goenka were key people in DB Reality and in that context she quoted the name of Pawar.

Radia, however, said she had no documentary proof or any other evidence to back her statement.

Pawar said he has good family relations with the Goenka family.

"I have good family relations with his father and that is why I know the second generation also very well and they are doing good service for my farmers," he said.

Hindustantimes