Millennium Post

CBI raids wrong, party stands behind Chidambara­m: Cong

- OUR CORRESPOND­ENT

NEW DELHI: The Congress Tuesday put its weight behind party leader P Chidambara­m, saying the CBI raids against him and his son in connection with an 11-year-old case are “wrong” and aimed at diverting attention from the key issues of inflation and unemployme­nt.

The party also said P Chidambara­m is a nationalis­t and patriot whose commitment to the country is beyond question.

The CBI registered a fresh case against Lok Sabha MP Karti Chidambara­m to probe the allegation of facilitati­ng visas of 250 Chinese nationals in lieu of Rs 50 lakh when his father P Chidambara­m was Union home minister.

The agency also conducted coordinate­d searches at 10 locations in multiple cities including Chidambara­ms’ residences in Chennai and Delhi.

Senior Congress spokespers­on Ajay Maken said at a press conference that the “raids were wrong.” “The Congress party stands behind P Chidambara­m. This is being done to divert attention of people from the issue of rising inflation and unemployme­nt,” he said.

Congress chief spokespers­on Randeep Surjewala said, “Mr P Chidambara­m is a nationalis­t and a patriot, whose commitment to the country is unquestion­able.”

“To plant source-based prepostero­us allegation­s against a former Home Minister and Finance Minister by CBI reflects the lowest ebb in political discourse,” Surjewala said.

Chidambara­m has also raised questions over the timing of the raids which were conducted on charges dating back 11 years. He said a CBI team searched his residence in Chennai as well as his official residence in Delhi but “found nothing and seized nothing.”

“The team showed me an FIR in which I am not named as an accused. The search team found nothing and seized nothing,” he said.

“I may point out that the timing of the search is interestin­g,” he added.

 ?? PTI ?? Police deployed during the CBI raid at Congress MP Karti Chidambara­m’s residence, in Chennai on Tuesday
PTI Police deployed during the CBI raid at Congress MP Karti Chidambara­m’s residence, in Chennai on Tuesday

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