The Congress on Wednesday defended its senior leader and former Union Minister P Chidambaram, who is facing corruption charges in the INX Media case.
While Rahul Gandhi alleged the Modi Government is using agencies like ED, CBI, and sections of a “spineless media” to character assassinate a versatile person like Chidambaram, party general secretary and Rahul’s sister Priyanka Gandhi claimed the former Union Minister was being “shamefully hunted down” because he speaks truth and exposes the failures of the Government.
Priyanka said the party will continue to fight for the truth no matter what the consequences are. “An extremely qualified and respected member of the RS, P Chidambaram ji has served our nation with loyalty for decades including as Finance Minister and Home Minister,” she said.
“He unhesitatingly speaks truth to power and exposes the failures of this Government, but the truth is inconvenient to cowards so he is being shamefully hunted down. We stand by him and will continue to fight for the truth no matter what the consequences are,” Priyanka said.
“Modi’s Government is using the ED, CBI and sections of a spineless media to character assassinate Mr Chidambaram. I strongly condemn this disgraceful misuse of power,” Rahul Gandhi said on Twitter.
Senior party leader and a former Union Minister Anand Sharma also accused the Modi Government of targeting Opposition leaders and termed the action of probe agencies against Chidambaram as “political vendetta”. When there are serious allegations against their own leaders, including its Chief Ministers, who are in office, the same agencies go silent, he alleged.
Sharma said there is not “even a whisper” the moment some leaders facing investigation like Mukul Roy and Himanta Biswa Sharma belonging to non-BJP parties defect.
A battery of top Congress leaders, including Kapil Sibal, presented themselves before the Supreme Court in favour of Chidambaram whose appeal against the High Court order rejecting his anticipatory bail plea will be taken by the apex court on Friday.
“A Government that persecutes its citizens for speaking truth to power is only reiterating its own cowardly nature. P Chidambaram is an extremely qualified and respected leader, he has served this nation with dedication & humility. We stand by his quest for truth no matter what,” the Congress said on its official Twitter account.
Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala tweeted, “India witnesses worst kind of virulent vendetta by Modi Govt as the BJP runs a police state. Judge reserves judgement for 7 months & delivers it 72 hours before retirement, CBI/ED are sent to raid as a respected former FM is hounded. Banana Republic?”
