Full text: Govt using CBI to target my son, alleges Chidambaram post raids

Chidambaram alleged that the Modi govt was trying to muzzle his voice

Former Union minister P Chidambaram said that Tuesday's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raids at his and his son, Karti Chidambaram's, residences were an attempt by the Modi government to muzzle his voice.  

While no official word has come from the CBI, sources have said that the raids were conducted in connection with the Aircel-Maxis probe, where Chidambaram's role as then finance minister in granting Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approval to the deal has been called into question. Recently, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had also searched Chidambaram's house. 

In his official statement regarding the Tuesday morning raids, Chidambaram said that the Modi government was using the CBI and other agencies to target his son. The Congress leader alleged that the government was trying to silence his voice and stop him from writing against its policies and actions. 

"FIPB approval is granted in hundreds of cases," the statement said, adding, "Every case was processed according to law and approval was granted or refused in accordance with the recommendations of the FIPB consisting of five secretaries to the Government of India."

Chidambaram's statement concluded by saying: "I shall continue to speak and write."

Tuesday's development comes almost a month after the CBI informed, according to reports, the Supreme Court (SC) that it was investigating Chidambaram's role in the alleged illegality of permitting Malaysian firm Maxis to acquire 100 per cent stake in Aircel directly and indirectly through foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2006.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy moved the SC seeking a probe into Chidambaram's alleged role in illegally permitting Maxis to acquire 100 per cent stake in Aircel. It has been claimed that this was done without following the procedure of sending the FDI proposal to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) despite the total worth of the deal being more than Rs 600 crore.

In April, the ED had filed a status report in a sealed cover before the SC on the status of its investigation in the money laundering case related to the  FIPB approval of the Aircel-Maxis deal, including the role of former finance minister P Chidambaram. The investigations under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act are going on in respect of the FIPB approval given to the Aircel-Maxis deal by the then finance minister, wherein foreign inflow was around Rs 3,500 crore whereas as per government policy and FIPB guidelines, the competent authority was the CCEA for any inflow above Rs 600 crore.

Below is the full text of his official statement: 

FIPB approval is granted in hundreds of cases. The five Secretaries who constitute the FIPB, the officials of the FIPB Secretariat and the competent authority in each case are the public officials. There is no allegation against any of them. There is no allegation against me. 

Every case was processed according to law and approval was granted or refused in accordance with the recommendations of the FIBP consisting of five Secretaries to the Government of India.

The government, using the CBI and other agencies, is targeting my son and his friends. The government's aim is to silence my voice and stop me from writing, as it has tried to do in the cases of leaders of Opposition parties, journalists, columnists, NGOs and civil society organizations. All I will say is, I shall continue to speak and write.