New Delhi: Targeting former finance minister P. Chidambaram for his statement in reaction to the raids being conducted on two firms in Chennai, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday asserted the former was feeling threatened and was trying to politicize the issue.
“I have seen the statement made by the former finance minister. On the one hand he categorically says that the firms being investigated or targeted are according to him, have nothing to do with him or his family and they have no interest in the companies. On the other hand, he says he is feeling harassed. So, this is quite bizarre and paradoxical,” BJP spokesperson GVL Narsimha Rao told ANI.
“Why is he issuing a statement and feeling threatened if he and his family have nothing to do with the companies? And if the companies under investigation have done no wrong whatsoever, they have nothing to fear,” he added.
He also stressed that the investigations will show the nature of violations if any and the action and the subsequent steps would follow.
“As far as the transactions are concerned, the investigations are only into the business operations of certain companies and there is no need to link both. By linking them up, by making a statement, Mr. Chidambaram is himself acknowledging that he has something to do with the companies that are under investigation,” said Rao.
Another BJP spokeserson Nalin Kohli also opined the same saying that Chidambaram should allow the agencies to do their work and should not try to politicize it.
“Over the last few months or years, it is found that multiple times in various media outlets , including print media, such allegations against Karti Chidambaram have been coming. I don’t call Mr. Chidambaram raising questions as if the media was prosecuting them. So, why is he raising questions on the government?” Kohli said.
“No agency conducts raids unless they have some credible reason to conduct a raid, that too in multiple locations. So, they should allow the agencies to do their work. They should not try to politicize it,” he added.
Former finance minister Chidambaram had earlier dubbed the raids conducted on two firms in Chennai, one of which had links to his son Karti Chidambaram, as a ‘malicious onslaught’ launched by the BJP-led NDA Government.
“I am traveling and I have been informed about searches conducted on certain firms at Chennai allegedly linked to my son. If the government wishes to target me, they should do so directly, not harass friends of my son who carry on their own businesses and have nothing to do with politics,” said Chidambaram in a statement.
“We have made it clear, repeatedly, that no member of my family has any equity or economic interest in any of the firms that are being targeted. They are companies that are professionally managed and are capable of answering any questions that may be put to them by the authorities. I condemn the attempt to link them to my son and harass them on that ground,” he added.
The Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax Department had earlier conducted raids in Chennai on firms allegedly owned by Karti Chidambaram.
