New Delhi, Oct 26 The Congress Monday strongly defended Communications Minister A. Raja, saying his name did not figure in the case related to the controversy over awarding 2G spectrum licences last year.

"The minister's name has not figured in the FIR (first information report). Only some officials' names have been figured," said party spokesman Shakeel Ahmed here.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) last week searched the offices of the telecom ministry to probe the alleged "criminal conspiracy" between some officials and private companies in giving wireless radio spectrum to telecommunication firms.

"The minister's office was not raided. Only some offices under his ministry were raided," Ahmed told reporters.

Criticising the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) for demanding Raja's resignation, the Congress said the two parties did not have the right to speak against corruption as their top leaders' role in some scandals were probed by the CBI.

The BJP Monday said the alleged irregularities in allotting spectrum and licences by the telecom ministry to nine private operators in 2007 was the "largest scam in independent India" that cost the government a whopping "Rs. 60,000 crore".

The Congress referred to former BJP president Bangaru Laxman's bribery case, which was exposed through a sting operation and CPI-M Kerala leader Pinarayi Vijayan's alleged involvement in the multi-million SNC Lavalin scam.

Ahmed said the Congress is a party that stands for "transparency in public life and zero tolerance against corruption". (IANS)