Uproar in House over PC’s arrest

Tribune News Service

Shimla, August 22

Terming the arrest of former Finance Minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram murder of democracy and political vendetta, Congress legislators indulged in sloganeering and staged a walkout in the Vidhan Sabha today.

As soon as Question Hour got over, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Mukesh Agnihotri raised the arrest of Chidambaram, last night. “The manner in which the BJP regime at the Centre is misusing the CBI and its power is highly condemnable,” he said. The manner in which Chidambaram was arrested last night only proved that the political vendetta was being unleashed by the BJP-led NDA regime.

The moment Agnihotri raised the issue, the treasury benches reacted sharply saying that corruption would be eradicated. This resulted in both sides resorting to sloganeering, leading to pandemonium in the House. BJP legislators retaliated to Congress sloganeering by stating that the party under Modi had resolved to eradicate corruption.

Even as slogans were being raised and Congress MLAs thumping their tables, the CLP leader said the Congress would not tolerate such dictatorial attitude. After raising slogans for some time, they staged a walkout.

Condemning Congress behaviour, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said the Congress’ hue and cry over the arrest of Chidambaram was unjustified. “This is not the forum to stage their protest as the issue does not pertain to the government but a question of corruption,” he said.

Thakur said, “Chidambaram was arrested after his anticipatory bail was rejected by the Delhi High Court, which made very serious remarks that economic offences must be dealt with an iron hand.”

He added that court even referred to Chidambaram as the kingpin in the case and he had been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and CBI.

He also said law must be allowed to take its own course without any disruption. “Everyone is equal in the eye of law, be it somebody influential, ordinary, rich or poor and the investigation must go on unhindered,” he said.

The investigation was going on and the ED and CBI had only acted as per law for which the Congress was crying hoarse about vendetta.