Pranab Mukherjee to speak on 2G only after PM returns from US

Back from the US, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee today said he will speak on the controversial 2G spectrum note only after discussions with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other colleagues.

Mukherjee told the waiting media at the airport that a full-fledged press conference will be held after the Prime Minister returns from his visit to New York on Tuesday.

He later told reporters after reaching his North Block office, "If it is needed I will say whatever (I have) to say after Prime Minister comes back and after we have discussions among ourselves."

Mukherjee returned home from New York after a five-day visit to the US amid a controversy over the March 25 note of the Finance Ministry to the Prime Minister's Office(PMO) which said 2G spectrum could have been auctioned if the then Finance Minister P Chidambaram had insisted on this route.

He further said that "I have spoken to media (yesterday). I have nothing to add in respect of the finance ministry note."

Mukherjee had met Singh in New York yesterday for an hour after which he said he would have to seek "expert opinion" on the note.

He had described Chidambaram as "our valued colleague" but made it clear that he would make any comments on the issue only after he talks to the Home Minister, Law Minister Salman Khurshid and other party leaders.

The Finance Minister was in Washington to attend the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.