Beyond comprehension how Chidambaram at fault: Manmohan

Former prime minister Manmohan Singh on Monday came out in full support of his party colleague P Chidambaram, who is lodged in Tihar jail facing allegations of wrongdoing in facilitating investments in a company INX Media.

Singh, who met Chidambaram in Tihar Jail, said he was concerned over the detention in custody of the former finance minister and hoped that the courts will render justice. Congress president Sonia Gandhi also accompanied Singh to meet Chidambaram on Monday morning.

Chidambaram has been arrested by the CBI over allegations of corruption in the grant of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance in the INX Media case. He was later remanded in judicial custody and sent to Tihar jail.

“In our system of government, no decision can be taken by any single person. All decisions are collective decisions recorded in files,” Singh said in a statement here.

He said a dozen officers, including six secretaries to the government, examined and recommended the proposal and Chidambaram as minister approved the unanimous recommendation.

Though Singh did not mention any specific proposal in the statement, it was apparent that he was referring to the FIPB clearance granted by Chidambaram to a proposal for foreign investment in INX Media in his capacity as Finance Minister.

“If the officers are not at fault, it is beyond our comprehension how the minister who simply approved the recommendation can be accused of committing an offence. If the minister is liable for approving a recommendation, the whole system of government will collapse,” the former prime minister said.

Singh said he and the Congress party were confident, and sincerely hoped, that the courts will render justice in this case.