The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) has reacted sharply to reports of the appointment of the home minister P Chidambaram as the head of  the EGOM on telecom, terming it as a ‘cruel joke" on the nation.

Talking to reporters  BJP chief spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the former telecom minister A Raja and the then finance minister P Chidambaram were responsible for the decision on spectrum pricing at 2001 rate despite the objections of the officials.

“Even Prime minister had said in Parliament that the pricing of spectrum was decided after the meeting between then Telecom Minister A Raja and Chidambaram," Prasad said.

He said this is contrary to the tall claims of integrity by the Prime Minister.

"There are reports about the likely appointment of Chidambaram as head of the EGOM on telecom. There has been no denial from the government. This flies in the face of Prime Minister's statement yesterday that he maintains a high level of integrity," BJP chief spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters here.

He demanded that the Prime Minister should explain how this move to appoint Chidambaram goes in accordance with his claim.

Prasad said that Raja has claimed that Chidambaram should also be questioned while some feel he should be made a co-accused.

"How can Chidambaram be even remotely considered for EGOM and he should be a co-accused with Raja," Prasad asserted.