Chennai: Two days after a Delhi-based newspaper published a report accusing former Finance Minister P Chidambaram’s son Karti of building a vast empire by investing in real estate and other business in several countries, AIADMK MPs stalled Parliamentary proceedings demanding a probe against the high-profile Congress leader and his son.
The AIADMK leader J Jayalalithaa shares a bitter relationship with Chidambaram since the early nineties and has never lost an opportunity to hit out at him in the past two decades.
The news report had accused Karti of investing in USA, London, South Africa, Dubai, British Virgin Island, France, Greece, Spain and other places through certain frontal companies, particularly the Singapore-based Advantage Strategic Consulting Ltd. The company has been accused in the Aircel-Maxis scam as well and also in the Vasan Group scam.
It is claimed that these investments surfaced during a raid by the Enforcement Directorate and Investigation Wing of the Income Tax Department in the Aircel-Maxis scandal.
Acting on this report, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, who has previously been instrumental in the investigation of the 2G spectrum scandal, on Tuesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a through probe into it.
Budget political, not surprised, says Chidambaram
“According to my rough estimate, Mr. P. Chidambaram and his immediate family have stashed away abroad about Rs. 35,000 crores in black money. His close relative, Mr. A.C. Muthaiah, former BCCI President, had laundered money for Ottavio Quattrocchi in the Bofors unsolved scam through A.E. Services,” he claimed in the letter.
Swamy has urged the Prime Minister to ensure that “persons left embedded in the Finance Ministry and the CBI before Mr. Chidambaram demitted office (as Home Minister), do not put road blocks on the further proceedings of the ED in taking this investigation to its finality i.e., prosecution in the CBI Special Court for Aircel Maxis Scam of Mr. Chidambaram.”
He has further urged Modi to set up a Special Investigation Team to take the Aircel Maxis Scam investigation to its logical end. While Chidambaram did not react, his son Karti issued a tersely worded press release denying any wrongdoing. “One newspaper, which hardly has any circulation, has made allegations against me, which have been adequately refuted in the past. Myself and my business are fully compliant with all the laws and regulations,” he said.
