Cong charges baseless, they want to save face; Union Minister

Union Minister D V Sadananda Gowda on Thursday rejected the Congress charge of "witch-hunt" and abuse of investigating agencies over the arrest of P Chidambaram, saying there was no need for the BJP-led Government to resort to such things.

"Practically... what they did (misuse of investigating agencies during the Congress tenure)...

now they are suffering from the same phobia", the Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister told PTI.

The whole world knows the case against Chidambaram and his son (Karti), he claimed.

"So if at all we wanted to resort to political vengeance, we would have done earlier (in the previous term).

Now everything is over, we are in absolute power and the party has got more (bigger) mandate.

Now is there any necessity for anybody to (do it)?, Gowda asked.

The Congress is levelling charges against the government as "they want to save face", he said.

Ealier on Thursday, the Congress came down heavily on the BJP-led government over the arrest of Chidambaram, accusing it of using the CBI and the ED as "personal revenge-seeking departments".

Senior Congress leader and former Finance Minister Chidambaram was arrested last night amid high drama by the CBI and he spent the night at a agency guest house.

"Over the last two days India witnessed the broad daylight murder of democracy as also the rule of law," said Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala.

He further said that while many accused in the INX Media case have not been arrested, a senior politician has been arrested without any legal basis.

"Government is using CBI, ED as personal revenge-seeking departments for the party in power, as also those ruling the country", Surjewala charged.

Denying the Congress charges as "baseless", Gowda said: "This is not the time (to resort to such tactics) because we have got a beautiful mandate not only in Parliament, but in various corners (of the country), people are praising (the Modi government)".

"All party people (leaders from different parties) are joining with us (BJP).

What's the fun in simply levelling some false allegations against our...(political rivals). It's a totally baseless allegation", Gowda, a former Karnataka Chief Minister, added.