Chidambaram's detention 'witch-hunt of worst kind': Cong leaders

Senior Congress leaders on Monday described P Chidambaram's detention as a "witch-hunt of the worst kind" and tweeted in support of the former Union finance minister using the hashtag 'Release Chidambaram'.

The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its verdict on the plea filed by Chidambaram seeking bail in the INX Media money-laundering case.

"Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram has been in judicial custody for more than 100 days. Mr Chidambaram's continued detention is nothing but a witch-hunt of the worst kind. It is the duty of the court to uphold the personal liberty of an individual," Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal said.

Mahila Congress chief Sushmita Dev said a ruling party misusing the investigating machinery to selectively target their political opponents, by foisting cases against them is "New India". "Mr Chidambaram's continued detention is nothing but a witch-hunt of the worst kind," she said.

Youth Congress chief Srinivas B V said the entire nation knows that the case against Chidambaram has been nothing but "pure vendetta politics".

"While the economy reaches new lows every single day, this is where the BJP govt's focus has been. Welfare of the nation has been abandoned," he alleged in a tweet with the hashtag 'Release Chidambaram'.

Several Congress organisations such as its youth and women's wings also tweeted in support of Chidambaram.

Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said many glaring inaccuracies in both the CBI and the ED's contentions point to a shoddy, hasty job done at the instructions of their political masters.

The CBI registered its case on May 15, 2017, alleging irregularities in a Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance granted to the INX Media group for receiving overseas funds of Rs 305 crore in 2007, during Chidambaram's tenure as finance minister. Thereafter, the ED lodged the money-laundering case.