New Delhi, The Congress on Tuesday described CBI and ED action against former Finance Minister and senior party leader P. Chidambaram as “political vendetta” and accused the government of targeting opposition leaders.
Speaking to reporters, senior Congress leader Anand Sharma said, “Chidambaram approached the High Court for anticipatory bail, which is his right and the court did not accepted that. That order is appealable and an application has already been moved, which will be heard in the Supreme Court tomorrow. I fail to understand what is going to happen at night. Heavens have not opened up,” he said, referring to the teams of Central Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate reaching Chidambaram’s residence.
Sharma said the manner in which the CBI and ED teams descended at Chidambaram’s residence raised fundamental questions.
“It a not a conviction but only the cancellation of his bail,” he said.
The Rajya Sabha member said Chidambaram is an “eminent person, a law-abiding citizen”.
His remarks came after a team of CBI and the ED arrived at the residence of Chidambaram hours after the Delhi High Court rejected his anticipatory bail plea.
Chidambaram has approached the Supreme Court for urgent hearing seeking protection from arrest.
The CBI is probing Chidambaram in the INX Media case, which it had registered on May 15, 2017 alleging irregularities in the FIPB clearance granted to the media group for receiving overseas funds of Rs 305 crore in 2007 during his tenure as finance minister. While the ED is probing the money laundering case which it registered in 2018.
“We have been witnessing in the last few years that there is a selective targeting and politics of vendetta with the leaders of opposition whether its leaders of the Congress, Samajwadi Party, Trinamool Congress, RJD, DMK …. its a long list,” said Sharma.
“In BJP there are serious allegations against its Chief Ministers and even today those who are in office but in there cases, the same agencies go silent,” he alleged.
Sharma said some of the leaders belonging to non-BJP parties such as Mukul Roy and Himanta Sharma were investigated. “But the moment they defected and joined the BJP, the same investigating agencies did not even whisper,” he said.
“There cannot be double standards. Chidambaram has been cooperating and joining the investigation as and when he is required. So why this tearing hurry tonight?” he asked.
