Govt conspiracy in vilifying Chidambaram: Jairam

A day after former Union minister P Chidambaram's judicial custody was extended till October 3, the Congress on Thursday described the INX Media case as a "paramount example of political vendetta" in which the former finance minister is vilified for acting on recommendations cleared by 11 officers and the "kingpins" of this conspiracy are in the government.

Addressing a press conference, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that there has been a "sustained campaign of vilification and character assassination" of Chidambaram and "one fact" has not been highlighted despite the probe agencies having "all files and all information".

"Whenever there is an FDI proposal, the Foreign Investment Promotion Board analyses it. Six Secretaries are members of the FIPB and they submit their recommendations that go to the Finance Ministry. The proposal on INX Media went to the Finance Minister along with 24 other proposals. Chidambaram on May 28, 2007, signed it," Jairam, who did not take questions from media citing ongoing court case, said.

He said that before the file reached the then finance minister, 11 officers signed it and it included six FIPB members, Under Secretary, Deputy Secretary, Joint Secretary, Additional Secretary and Finance Secretary, whose signatures appears twice as he heads the FIPB and the bureaucracy in Ministry of Finance.

"No officer raised any objections when signing the file. The investigative agencies spoke to some of the officers but never have they raised any questions against the other officers or said that they committed a crime. If the Investigative agencies feel that the officers committed no crime by signing that file, then how does the 12th man, Chidambaram, suddenly becomes a criminal?" he said.

Jairam said that Chidambaram has suddenly been declared as the "kingpin" who has perpetuated a crime of high economic magnitude.

"The basic fact that there are 11 officers who signed without an objection to the proposal and not to highlight it, makes it abundantly clear that there is a conspiracy of the government to vilify not just Chidambaram but defame the Congress too. It is not a conspiracy on part of the accused, but a conspiracy of the government," he added.