New Delhi, Aug 20 (IANS) The Congress has described the CBI and the ED teams’ visit to former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram’s house a “political vendetta” and accused the government of targeting the opposition leaders.
Speaking to reporters here on Tuesday, senior Congress leader Anand Sharma, said, “Chidambaram has approached the high court for an anticipatory bail, which is his right and the court has not accepted that.”
“The order is appealable and an application has been moved, which will be heard by the Supreme Court on Wednesday morning. I fail to understand what is going to happen in night. Heavens have not opened up,” he said.
Sharma said the manner in which the CBI and the ED teams descended at Chidambaram’s residence raised fundamental questions. “It’s not a heinous crime. It’s not a conviction, only cancellation of bail plea,” he said. Chidambaram was an “eminent person and law abiding citizen”, he added.
“There can’t be double standards. Chidambaram has been cooperating with the investigation. Why this tearing hurry…,” he said. The government and the agencies should respect the Supreme Court and wait for the hearing on Wednesday.
His remarks came after the CBI and the ED teams arrived at Chidambaram’s residence, hours after the Delhi High Court rejected his anticipatory bail plea.
Following the rejection of bail plea, Chidambaram moved the Supreme Court for an urgent hearing and protection from arrest.
The CBI is probing Chidambaram in the INX Media case, registered on May 15, 2017 alleging irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance to the media group for receiving Rs 305 crore overseas funds in 2007 during his tenure as the Finance Minister.
The ED is probing a money laundering case, it registered in 2018.
Flaying the government over selective action, the Congress leader said, “We have been witnessing in last few years selective targeting and politics of vendetta with the leaders of opposition — be it the Congress, the Samajwadi Party, the Trinamool Congress, the RJD, the DMK, its a long list.”
He criticiesd the agencies for keeping mum in the case of BJP leaders, including Chief Ministers and others in office.
Sharma also said some non-BJP leaders, like Mukul Roy, Himanta Sharma, too were being investigated, but the moment they defected to the BJP the same investigating agencies went silent.
–IANS
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