Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh meet PC at Tihar jail

Congress President Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh on Monday morning drove down to Tihar Jail to meet P Chidambaram, who has been lodged there in connection with a money laundering case.

The show of solidarity from Gandhi and Singh came more than a month after Chidambaram was arrested by the CBI on August 21 over allegations of wrongdoing in the INX media case.

The two Congress leaders were accompanied by Karti Chidambaram, the former Finance minister's son who is also a Lok Sabha MP.

Chidambaram, who had asked his family to tweet on his behalf, said he was honoured that the two leaders visited him.

"I am honoured that Smt. Sonia Gandhi and Dr Manmohan Singh called on me today. As long as the @INCIndia party is strong and brave, I will also be strong and brave," he tweeted.

He also took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his "Everything is fine in India" remark, saying, "Bharat mai sab achha hai. Except for unemployment, loss of existing jobs, lower wages, mob violence, lockdown in Kashmir and throwing Opposition leaders in prison."

K Chidambaram expressed his gratitude to the two Congress leaders for meeting his father.

"My father and I are extremely grateful to Congress president Sonia Gandhiji and former prime minister Manmohan Singhji for visiting us today. This will give us the strength and support in this political fight," he said.

Chidambaram said he was honoured that Gandhi and Singh met him on Monday. “As long as the Congress party is strong and brave, I will also be strong and brave,” Chidambaram said on Twitter.

Chidambaram has been placed under judicial custody in Tihar Jail since September 5 and is expected to stay there at least till October 3 when his remand would end. Congress has been claiming that Chidambaram is a victim of political vendetta unleashed by the Modi government against political rivals.

Last week, senior Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Ahmed Patel had met Chidambaram at Tihar. Chidambaram’s family and lawyers are allowed to meet him for 30 minutes every day.

The former finance minister has kept his Twitter account active by asking his family members to post his views on the current political and economic developments. “I am thrilled to discover that, according to some people, I will grow golden wings and fly away to the moon. I hope I will have a safe landing,” Chidambaram had said on Twitter on Sunday.

Chidambaram’s bail plea his pending before the Delhi High Court, but Congress leaders fear that the Enforcement Directorate might arrest him if he is released on bail.

(With PTI inputs)