Quiet patriotism will defeat muscular nationalism: Chidambaram on Assembly poll results

Former Union minister P Chidambaram on Thursday took a veiled dig at BJP over the results of assembly polls in Haryana and Maharashtra saying that "muscular patriotism will be defeated by quiet patriotism".

"Quiet patriotism will defeat muscular nationalism," he said while he was coming out from a special CBI court when he was asked about the Maharashtra and Haryana poll election results that came out today.

A special CBI court today extended till October 30, the Enforcement Directorate custody of Chidambaram in the INX media money laundering case.

His Twitter handle also posted a message from him posted by his family.

"Congress workers must believe that the BJP can be defeated in an election," read the post.

"Once people shed fears, miracles can happen," a subsequent tweet said.

Trends showed BJP along with its ally Shiv Sena retaining the government in Maharashtra albeit with slightly lower seats compared to that of the combine got in the 2014 results. The BJP fell short of 46 majority mark.

Chidambaram is currently lodged in Tihar jail in connection with the INX Media money laundering case.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) have been probing his role in the case. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court granted him bail in the case registered by the CBI.