Chennai: “Chidambaram is being kept in a dark room. He would have willingly answered all their questions but then, the CBI does not even have a list of questions to ask him. The agency wants to break Chidambaram, hoping that by doing so, it can break the Congress”, fumed TNCC president K S Alagiri, reacting to the Special Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar on Monday extending the CBI custody for PC by another four days.
“The hands of the Goddess of Justice are tied; unfortunately, it appears that the court also wants to help the CBI, which is acting as per the orders of its political bosses”, Alagiri told reporters, slamming both the CBI and its Special Court handling the PC case.
He said Chidambaram's lawyer Kapil Sibal told the court that the former was with the CBI officials for over 12 hours but they did not ask him a single question all that time.
Even the CBI lawyers present in the court did not contest that statement by Sibal, said Alagiri, adding that the CBI is yet to prepare any questions for Chidambaram. He said PC is not an ordinary person; he is a senior leader of a national party, and had been Union Minister for many years.
“Ask him any question, not just 20 but even 200 questions. But broadcast it all, the questions and the answers so that the nation, the people would know”, Alagiri thundered. He said the CBI court could start this process to make the proceedings transparent, just as the debates in Parliament are now being telecast live whereas that was not being done earlier.
BJP state president Dr Tamilisai Sounderarajan alleged Alagiri has “committed contempt” by saying the court has been influenced by the CBI. “Alagiri is casting aspersions on the judiciary. His rant on the judiciary amounts to contempt of court. If leaders like him blame the courts and mislead the people, everyone will lose faith on the judiciary”, the BJP leader told DC.
Averring that no politician can be spared of the legal process, she said even Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah had faced court trials in the past and come out free. “If Chidambaram is really non-corrupt, as he claims, let him face the trial and come out free”, Dr Tamilisai said.
“I strongly believe that legal proceedings cannot be manipulated and I strongly condemn Alagiri's remarks. The same Chidambaram had earlier obtained adjournments in the case. He is not above law. He is just like any other person before law. He can't escape saying it's political vendetta. I want to ask Alagiri, did the Congress or Chidambaram influence the courts during the Congress rule?” she asked.
