CHENNAI: The ruling BJP is afraid of the Congress’s ideologies, former Union minister P Chidambaram said on Monday.
The Congress leader was talking to reporters at the secretariat after filing his nomination for the biennial election to the Rajya Sabha in the presence of DMK ministers Duraimurugan, P K Sekar Babu and Ma Subramanian.
Asked if the recent searches by the CBI at his and son’s properties were anything to do with his nomination to the upper house, Chidambaram said there was no need to offer fresh views about the enforcement agencies, the CBI and the ED.
“You all know how actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan’s case came to an end (drug charges against him were dropped) two days ago. Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren has made allegations (that BJP is misusing investigative agencies like the ED) and Congress Lok Sabha leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had written to speaker Om Birla (about intimidation and breach of privilege of Karti Chidambaram). You come to a conclusion seeing all this. Ordinary people have almost come to a conclusion,” Chidambaram said.
On a query as to whether the Union government was afraid of him, the former Union minister said, “I am not a lion or tiger to be afraid of. I am a human being, reflecting the Congress party — the one who has been writing firmly and speaking out loudly the ideologies of the Congress.”
Asked about the disappointment in certain sections of the party about the nominations for the biennial election to the Rajya Sabha, Chidambaram said there were only ten seats for the Congress to win and the party selected the candidates.
“I would be the first to say there are many candidates more qualified than me,” he said.
On the BJP’s charges that the conduct of chief minister M K Stalin at the Prime Minister’s event was ‘appalling,’ the Congress leader said that criticism was wrong since the government had extended welcome and respect when the PM was in Chennai to launch projects worth over Rs 31,000 crore.
“The PM talked 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 another was wrong,” he said.
Asked about the BJP’s allegations that the DMK was keen on addressing the Centre as ‘Union government,’ the Congress leader said the Constitution only said Union government and the opponents should read that.
Chidambaram said the accusation of forced conversion in the state was absurd and false. “I studied in Christian schools and colleges. There are hundreds and thousands of children studying in Christian schools. There are several generations which have benefited from Christian schools and colleges. Nobody has attempted to convert anyone. This is a false accusation. This must be nipped in the bud. I am sure that people of Tamil Nadu will nip it in the bud,” the Congress leader said.
Chidambaram filed his papers in the presence of Tamil Nadu Congress Committee chief K S Alagiri, former TNCC presidents EVKS Elangovan, K V Thangkabalu and S Thirunavukkarasar and party MLAs indicating the unity of the party.
The Congress leader was talking to reporters at the secretariat after filing his nomination for the biennial election to the Rajya Sabha in the presence of DMK ministers Duraimurugan, P K Sekar Babu and Ma Subramanian.
Asked if the recent searches by the CBI at his and son’s properties were anything to do with his nomination to the upper house, Chidambaram said there was no need to offer fresh views about the enforcement agencies, the CBI and the ED.
“You all know how actor Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan’s case came to an end (drug charges against him were dropped) two days ago. Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren has made allegations (that BJP is misusing investigative agencies like the ED) and Congress Lok Sabha leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had written to speaker Om Birla (about intimidation and breach of privilege of Karti Chidambaram). You come to a conclusion seeing all this. Ordinary people have almost come to a conclusion,” Chidambaram said.
On a query as to whether the Union government was afraid of him, the former Union minister said, “I am not a lion or tiger to be afraid of. I am a human being, reflecting the Congress party — the one who has been writing firmly and speaking out loudly the ideologies of the Congress.”
Asked about the disappointment in certain sections of the party about the nominations for the biennial election to the Rajya Sabha, Chidambaram said there were only ten seats for the Congress to win and the party selected the candidates.
“I would be the first to say there are many candidates more qualified than me,” he said.
On the BJP’s charges that the conduct of chief minister M K Stalin at the Prime Minister’s event was ‘appalling,’ the Congress leader said that criticism was wrong since the government had extended welcome and respect when the PM was in Chennai to launch projects worth over Rs 31,000 crore.
“The PM talked 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 another was wrong,” he said.
Asked about the BJP’s allegations that the DMK was keen on addressing the Centre as ‘Union government,’ the Congress leader said the Constitution only said Union government and the opponents should read that.
Chidambaram said the accusation of forced conversion in the state was absurd and false. “I studied in Christian schools and colleges. There are hundreds and thousands of children studying in Christian schools. There are several generations which have benefited from Christian schools and colleges. Nobody has attempted to convert anyone. This is a false accusation. This must be nipped in the bud. I am sure that people of Tamil Nadu will nip it in the bud,” the Congress leader said.
Chidambaram filed his papers in the presence of Tamil Nadu Congress Committee chief K S Alagiri, former TNCC presidents EVKS Elangovan, K V Thangkabalu and S Thirunavukkarasar and party MLAs indicating the unity of the party.