BJP using CBI to silence me, says P Chidambaram

In a suo motu statement issued by his office following the raids on his house and son Karti Chidambaram’s offices, Chidambaram said, “The government, using the CBI and other agencies, is targeting my son and his friends. The Centre’s aim is to silence my voice and stop me from writing, as it has tried to do in the cases of leaders of Opposition parties, journalists, columnists, NGOs and civil society organisations.” 

“All I will say is, I shall continue to speak and write,” he remarked, clarifying that Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approval was granted in hundreds of cases and the five secretaries, who constitute the FIPB, officials of the FIPB Secretariat and the competent authority in each case are public officials. 

“There was no allegation against me or any of them. Every case was processed in accordance with the law and approval was granted or refused in accordance with the recommendations of the FIPB consisting of five secretaries to the Government of India,” the former finance minister said. 

His son Karti, who briefed media persons before being grilled by the investigating agency, said that they did not seize any document from his place and there was nothing against him. Karti described the raids as a politically motivated one attempting to stifle his father’s voice. 

In a guarded response to the raids, DMK working president MK Stalin said that Chidambaram would face the CBI raids legally. 

Condemning the raids, state Congress president Su Thirunavukkarasar said that the BJP has attempted to intimidate Chidambaram because it is unable to tolerate his criticism inside and outside Parliament and the state Congress would stand by PC on the issue. 

Stating that Congress leaders and functionaries would not be frightened by such raids, former TNCC chief EVKS Elangovan said that a time would come in future when people, who are responsible (for such raids), would regret it.