BJP doesn't believe in political witch-hunting: Naidu

Hitting back at former union minister P. Chidambaram's allegations of the Centre targeting him and his son Karti under the pretence of raids, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday said the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) does not believe in political witch-hunting and misusing any organisation.

Naidu told ANI that from day one the BJP Government has been focusing on development, speedy development and all around development.

"We have tried to repair the economy, tried to improve the image of India across the globe. We are focusing fully on development and we are also trying to take all the states along in this agenda. Because our Prime Minister believes in togetherness we never think of such raids. Law is doing its work and we have nothing to do with it. There is no role of the BJP in this. We don't believe in political witch-hunting and misusing any of these organisations," he added.

Naidu said they haven't used or misused any of the agencies, adding that they have allowed them to function independently, whether it is CBI, IT department or the Enforcement Directorate.

He said there is no role of the government with regard to IT raids or CBI cases against either Chidambaram's son, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Yadav, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati or Samajwadi Party patron Mulayam Singh.

Making it crystal clear that the Centre has no intention to harass political opponents or to put false allegations, Naidu said, "All these were done during the Congress' tenure. We are purely focused on development. All the scams happened in the times of Congress."

Accusing the 'autocratic' BJP-led government to be blinded by revenge, the Congress Party has asserted that such false cases would not deter the party and that it would continue to fight for the people of India.

The statement comes in the wake of the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) raids at Chidambaram's residence in Chennai, which is in connection with alleged favours granted in FIPB clearance to a firm.

The raids took place at around 14 different locations in Chennai and also in the national capital in connection with the criminal misconduct in grant of the FIPB approval.