Hours after the CBI ordered former Union minister P. Chidambaram to appear before its investigating officer, the Congress on Wednesday firmly expressed its support for the veteran leader. Chidambaram is being investigated on charges of money laundering in the INX media case.
In a tweet on Wednesday morning, the Congress party announced it stood by Chidambaram's quest for truth “no matter what”. The Congress also accused the Narendra Modi government of persecuting citizens for “speaking truth to power”. The Congress tweeted, “A govt that persecutes its citizens for speaking truth to power is only reiterating its own cowardly nature. @PChidambaram_IN is an extremely qualified & respected leader, he has served this nation with dedication & humility. We stand by his quest for truth no matter what.”
The CBI claims Chidambaram has been missing since Tuesday night. However, Congress leaders and lawyers in the party said Chidambaram was not evading arrest.
The Congress declaration of support came shortly after the Supreme Court refused to pass orders on a plea from Chidambaram seeking interim relief from a Delhi High Court order that turned down anticipatory bail for him on Tuesday.
Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi is expected to take up the plea from Chidambaram on Wednesday afternoon. Earlier on Wednesday morning, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had expressed support for Chidambaram, alleging cowards were shamefully hunting him.
Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday issued a fresh lookout circular against Chidambaram to restrict his movement across land, air and seaports, officials said. The nature of the circular suggests the government apprehends Chidambaram may try to flee the country.
