Chennai, May 30 (IANS)
Senior Congress leader and former Union Home minister, P. Chidambaram said that the ruling BJP is afraid of the Congress ideology. He was speaking to reporters after filing his nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha elections at the secretariat on Monday.
Chidambaram said that there was no need to speak about central agencies like Enforcement Directorate and CBI when asked whether the recent raids at his son Karthi Chidambaram’s place had anything to do with his nomination to the Rajya Sabha.
The former Union minister said ,” You all know how Shahrukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan’s cases came to an end. Jhakrhand Chief Minister, Hemant Soren has come out against the Union government that the BJP was misusing the Enforcement Directorate against him. Congress loksabha leader Aadhir Ranjan Chowdhury has written to Speaker Om Birla ( about intimidation and breach of privilege of Karti Chidambaram). You come to a conclusion on seeing all this and common people have already come to a conclusion on this.”
When asked whether the Union government was afraid of him, Chidambaram said, “ Im not a tiger or a lion to be afraid of. I am an ordinary human being, reflecting the Congress party and the one who has been writing firmly and speaking out loudly on the ideology of the Congress party.”
He also said that there are only ten seats for the Congress that can be filled when asked about the disappointment in certain sections of the party on the nominations to the upper house. Chidambaram said, “ I am sure that there are many in the party who are more qualified than me.”
When asked whether the charges of the Tamil Nadu BJP that the Chief Minister Stalin’s conduct was ‘appalling’ , the former Union home minister said, “ The criticism is wrong as the state government has accorded warm welcome and respect to the Prime Minister when he was in Chennai to announce infrastructure projects worth 31000 crores”.
He added, “Prime Minister spoke about his government’s achievements, that is right. Also, the CM took up the state’s requirements and funds for programmes. That is also right. I don’t understand the criticism that one was right and the other wrong.”
The former Union minister also said that there were no forced conversions in the state and the allegations were absurd and false. He said,” I studied in Christian schools and colleges. There are hundreds and thousands of children studying in Christian schools. There are several generations who have benefitted from Christian schools and colleges. Nobody has tried to convert anyone and this allegation has to be nipped in the bud and I am sure that the Tamil Nadu government will nip it in the bud itself.”
Chidambaram was accompanied by State Congress Committee president, K.S. Alagiri, former TNCC president’s EVKS Elangovan, KV. Thangabalu, S. Thirunavakarasar, and party MLAs indicating the unity of the party.
DMK leaders and state ministers, S. Duraimurugan, Ma Subramanian, and P.K. Sekar Babu also accompanied the former Union Minister.
