Congress and BJP caught in war of words after Chidambaram's arrest

Senior Congress leader and former finance minister P Chidambaram after he was produced in a CBI court in the INX media case, in New Delhi. Pic/PTI

The dramatic arrest of former union minister P Chidambaram has started a war of words between the Modi government and the opposition with both parties leaving no stones unturned at taking digs at each other. The Congress has come down heavily on the ruling party over the arrest of Chidambaram, accusing it of using the CBI and the ED as "personal revenge-seeking departments".

The former finance minister was reportedly sent to custody by a special Anti-Corruption Court on Thursday for four days till August 26 in the INX Media corruption case.

Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Friday took a swipe at the BJP government, saying the "economy is in ICU" and the Modi dispensation has issued a "look out notice" for all those defending civil liberties.His jibe at the government issuing look out notice was an obvious reference to probe agencies issuing such a notice for party colleague P Chidambaram and arresting him, reported PTI.

Sibal, who also represented the senior Congress leader in court, reflected on the events of the last few weeks, saying that they have shown that the economy and the cause of liberty need a stimulus package."

He further tweeted that the economy is in ICU and the government has issued a 'lookout notice' for all those defending civil liberties.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and Indian National Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel on Thursday also accused the Centre of suppressing the voice of former Union Minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram for being critical to Narendra Modi government's policies and failures. "P Chidambaram was constantly criticising the policies of the central government and was pointing out their failures. The government is not able to face the criticism and so they want to suppress the opposing voices," Baghel told ANI.

The Chief Minister further added, "Today, our country is gripped in the financial crisis. There is a fall in every sector, including the automobile industry, where employee strength is being cut and numerous plants are being shut. The situation is bad in the government sector as well."

On the other hand, BJP state president K Laxman has asserted that courts will take legal action against former Finance Minister P Chidambaram in the INX Media case."The law will take its own action (on) whatever the misdeeds or corruption have been done. The case is under prejudice. Definitely, courts are going to take proper and legal action," Laxman told ANI here on Thursday.

Meanwhile, BJP vice president Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday said there was no political vendetta behind the action against former Union minister P Chidambaram's arrest."Law takes in own course. Chidambaram went to the court but did not get relief. Congress's act of blaming the central government is not proper as it is working without any vendetta," Chouhan told PTI.

"If someone has indulged in any wrongdoing, it should be probed. It hardly matters whether the wrongdoer is big or small," said the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister.

With inputs from PTI and ANI

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