NEW DELHI: Countering charges of vendetta politics raised by Congress leader and former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad asserted the investigating agencies were carrying out a professional probe against Karti Chidambaram.
Earlier this month, the Enforcement Directorate and Central Bureau of Investigation filed cases against Karti for allegedly influencing officials of the Foreign Investment Promotion Board to grant investment approval to INX Media, formerly owned by Indrani and Peter Mukerjea.
On Monday, Chidambaram defended his son Karti, saying the charges were baseless, and accused the NDA government of indulging in vendetta politics. Rejecting Chidambaram’s claims that the Centre was targeting his son through a corruption case, Prasad said: “The FIR has a detailed account of discrepancies. Our government does not believe in revenge politics nor does it target any particular person. We work with honesty, and have been working honestly for three years.”
The minister asserted that his remarks were also meant for Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, whose kin are being probed in connection with a case relating to benami property. “I will say only one thing: Have Lalu and his family ever denied allegations of `1,000 crore-worth benami properties?” Prasad asked.
What the case is all about
The CBI claims Karti got money from INX Media through a company “indirectly controlled by him” to manipulate a probe against it in a case of violation of FIPB conditions to receive foreign funds