"Vendetta" to "law taking its course": Left takes Chidambaram U-turn

In a significant climbdown or U-turn from its earlier position that it was a "political vendetta", the left parties seem to have taken a U-turn, distancing itself from former Home & Finance Minister P Chidambaram after he was on Wednesday remanded to judicial custody till November 13.

"Well, it is an on-going court case. Let the law take its own course. We have nothing more to say. Its a matter with the court. Why should we react? Let the Congress party react and defend him," D Raja replied when Republic TV asked him to react on the issue during a press conference.

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D Raja and his party along its bigger left ally CPI (M) have been vocal and strongly supporting Chidambaram from the time he was arrested calling the arrest a political vendetta and a nefarious design by BJP govt to target the opposition party leaders. Raja had said in September that it was a gross mishandling of government agencies or machinery for settling political scores over its opposition.

In a similar stance, CPI(M) had demanded a thorough magisterial inquiry into the matter and not left to the high-handedness of government agencies which were "biased" and "tools of their political bosses."

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INX Media case and Chidambaram

The CBI had registered an FIR on May 15, 2017, alleging irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance granted to the INX Media group for receiving overseas funds of Rs 305 crore in 2007 during Chidambaram's tenure as the Finance Minister. Thereafter, the Enforcement Directorate had lodged a money laundering case in this regard in 2017. Chidambaram was first arrested by the CBI in connection with the INX Media case on August 22 from his New Delhi residence. He is currently in judicial custody in Tihar Jail, after being remanded by the special CBI court in Delhi till November 13 on Wednesday.

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