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Govt wants to silence my voice says Chidambaram on CBI raids

by IBNS 16 May 2017, 08:00 am

New Delhi, May 16 (IBNS) : Hours after the CBI raids on his and his son's residences, former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday denied the allegation against him for being involved in Foreign Investment Promotion Board clearances for INX media.

“There are no allegations against me. The government is using the CBI and other agencies and is targeting my son and his friends," Times Now quoted him as saying, he told Times Now.

Chidambaram said the CBI raids were part of an attempt to silence his voice and stop him from writing “as it has tried to do in the cases of leaders of Opposition parties, journalists, columnists, NGOs and civil society organizations”.  

His party, too alleged that it's a "political conspiracy"  and "vendetta" and vowed to take up the issue. 

 "The CBI raid is a political witch-hunt and conspiracy by the government and the opposition members will not be silent over the issue,Congress spokesman Randip Singh Surjewala said.

"The Congress party will not bow down. Neither P Chidambaram nor the INC will be suppressed by such conspiracies of the autocratic government," he added.

Congress leader Digvijaya Singh too on Twitter also condemned the CBI raid and said that it is a political vendetta of the worst kind.

“Strongly condemn raids against Chidambaram and Karti Chidambaram. Political vendetta of the worst kind," Digvijaya Singh said in a tweet.

According to reports, the CBI on Tuesday morning launched searches at multiple premises linked to Chidambaram and his son Karti Chidambaram in connection with alleged favours granted in Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to a firm.

The raids were carried out  across 17 different locations in Chennai, Mumbai and other locations on the basis of a  first information report (FIR) was filed on Sunday. 

CBI named Karti Chidambaram and INX Media owners Indrani Mukerjea and Peter Mukerjea for alleged offences of criminal conspiracy, cheating and prevention of corruption act in its FIR. 

The Mukerjeas, accused of murder in the sensational Sheena Bora case, are currently in jail.

The agency said that that recommendations for proposal of INX Media was approved by P Chidambaram, who had served as Union finance minister during the UPA regime.

According to reports, there are at least five cases of FIPB clearances which had been scrutinised by the Enforcement Directorate, post raiding Karti Chidambaram and his associates.

In all the five cases, ED suspected a major money laundering ploy which involved several companies linked to the former Finance Minister's son.