Backing his party's allegation of a political witch-hunt, senior Congress leader M Veerapa Moily on Thursday said P Chidambaram's arrest is a "tit-for-tat particularly by Home Minister" Amit Shah who feels "aggrieved" because of his arrest by the CBI in 2010.
"This is a political witch hunt by the present government and more particularly by the Home Minister Amit Shah. The Home Minister feels aggrieved. He was in 2010, arrested in cases involving murder post-Godhra incident," Moily told .
He continued, "The Court really held a prima facie case, but ultimately what had happened is a different matter. The case was also shifted to Bombay Court from Gujarat. He was not allowed to enter Gujarat also for some time and now he is the Home Minister. During that time P Chidambaram was the home minister. So this is some sort of a tit for tat."
Moily said there is no case against the former home minister as he has not been named in the FIR and charge-sheet in the INX media case.
"CBI has evidence against Indr Mukerjea and now the CBI relies on her statement, there is nothing else. The case is very suspicious. This case is very suspiciously dealt with and was pending for seven months for judgment. And a judge who was to retire in months delivers the judgment," he added.
He further said that not only Chidambaram, but every person has the right to appeal in the Supreme Court. "The Supreme Court should hear him, but the Supreme Court is also delaying these things. So, Chidambaram thought it will be appropriate to hold the press conference and which he went home. There is no place to create high drama," the Congress leader said.
He further claimed that nobody in India has their right to liberty protected under the present government and termed the charges against Chidambaram baseless.
Chidambaram, one of the key ministers during ten years of UPA regime, was taken to headquarters of the probe agency after being arrested from his Jor Bagh residence on Wednesday night in connection with the INX Media case.
He was arrested after he failed to get relief from the Supreme Court over CBI and ED's pursuit of him.
Congress leaders including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Randeep Singh Surjewala have voiced their discontent against the arrest of former union minister by the investigation agencies.
( With inputs from ANI )