ED’s summons to Rahul ‘baseless’: P Chidambaram

By PTI

NEW DELHI: With Rahul Gandhi set to seem earlier than the Enforcement Directorate in a cash laundering case, senior Congress chief P Chidambaram on Sunday asserted that the summons to the previous celebration chief was “baseless” and mentioned it seems that the ED’s jurisdiction doesn’t prolong to the BJP members or to states dominated by the saffron celebration.

Chidambaram additionally mentioned each effort needs to be made and will probably be made to forge unity among the many Opposition events within the upcoming presidential polls.

Asked in regards to the ED summons to Rahul and Sonia Gandhi and the Congress’ resolution of a present of power when the previous seems earlier than the investigative company on Monday, Chidambaram mentioned, “I speak as a Congress member and an advocate. The ED’s summons to Mr Rahul Gandhi under PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) is baseless.”

Pointing out that the offence of cash laundering requires ‘cash’ and ‘laundering of cash’, the previous residence minister mentioned that within the National Herald debt-to-equity conversion, one thing which lending banks do regularly, there was no transaction of cash.

Therefore, how can there be cash laundering, he requested. “It is like accusing a person of the offence of ‘purse snatching’ when there was no purse and no snatching,” he argued.

As Congress members, Chidambaram mentioned, celebration leaders will specific solidarity with Rahul Gandhi and march with him to the ED’s workplace on Monday.

Reacting to the federal government’s competition that the companies do their job and the opposition mustn’t fear if they’ve executed no mistaken, Chidambaram mentioned so far as the ED ‘doing its job’ is worried, “it appears that the ED’s jurisdiction does not extend to BJP members or to states ruled by the BJP!” Asked in regards to the Opposition’s allegation that companies just like the ED and the CBI had been getting used in opposition to it, he mentioned the “selective actions” of the investigative companies have raised doubts within the minds of Opposition events.

“I shall not say anything more,” he added. With Rahul Gandhi set to seem earlier than the Enforcement Directorate on June 13 in reference to the cash laundering case pertaining to the National Herald-Associated Journals Ltd deal, the Congress has determined that each one its high leaders and MPs would take out a protest march to the company headquarters right here and stage a “satyagraha” in opposition to what the celebration referred to as its “misuse” by the central authorities.

Congress leaders in states may even take out marches to the company places of work of their respective states and can stage “satyagraha” on Monday.

Asked in regards to the outrage and condemnation from quite a few Muslim-majority nations over the controversial remarks on Prophet Mohammad and calls that Prime Minister Narendra Modi ought to have intervened within the matter when the feedback had been made, Chidambaram mentioned, “Most certainly, yes, the prime minister should have spoken and acted immediately after the offensive utterances by the two (BJP) spokespersons.”

“The PM’s silence is baffling, but in tune with his silence on past occasions. It is sad that the government turned a deaf ear when Opposition parties, civil society leaders, writers, scholars and common citizens forewarned the government to put an end to Islamophobia, but woke up startled when 16 countries remonstrated against the utterances,” he mentioned.

Should Indian Muslims look to overseas nations to cease Islamophobia, Chidambaram requested.

On the protests persevering with over the difficulty in numerous elements of the nation, Chidambaram mentioned the federal government, and the BJP behind the federal government, has been “exposed as insincere” relating to upholding secularism.

“I read that Sadhvi Pragya has spoken in support of Nupur Sharma. The silence of the prime minister and the Home Minister, the voices within the BJP in support of the spokespersons and the bureaucratic response to the loud protests of 16 foreign countries tell everything about the BJP’s position,” Chidambaram mentioned.

This shouldn’t be a brand new place, it may be traced to the writings of RSS leaders, he mentioned. “Naturally, I am concerned about the ferment in society. It is the responsibility of the government to reassure the minorities and restore peace,” Chidambaram mentioned.

On the continuing debate on the necessity for blasphemy legal guidelines within the nation, he mentioned there are sufficient legal guidelines within the nation to take care of blasphemy and there’s no want for a brand new regulation.

“Under the BJP governments, the laws are applied with an evil eye and an unequal hand,” he alleged.

Asked in regards to the Congress being accused of peddling ‘comfortable Hindutva’ previously and if the celebration must take an aggressive stance on problems with minorities, Chidambaram dismissed recommendations of his celebration peddling in comfortable Hindutva and asserted that the Congress’ official place, resolutions and statements have by no means deviated from its dedication to secularism.

“The Congress need not be aggressive or defensive. We have to stand by the declaration in the Constitution that India will be a secular country,” he asserted.