Hitting out at Union Minister Arun Jaitley for speaking up for bankers and businessmen under CBI scanner, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday wondered why he was in “slumber” when IAS officers were targeted by the probe agency.

Chidambaram took a jibe at Jaitley by describing him as “Finance Minister (on leave)” and claiming that he had “best ring-side seat” on the functioning of the CBI.

Chidambaram also hit out at the CBI for its “indiscriminate targeting” of “distinguished” IAS officers and others in cases involving “small sums of money” and said the government was in “deep slumber” when it was being done.

The Congress leader was apparently referring to the Aircel-Maxis case, where he along with some IAS officers are under investigation.

“The CBI has received the ultimate certificate from the one who has the best ringside seat, the Finance Minister (on leave): ‘Adventurism and megalomania have overtaken investigators,” he said in a series of tweets referring to the Jaitley's remarks.

Jaitley had hit out at the CBI for naming the “who’s who of the banking industry” without concentrating on the “bull’s eye” in the case.

“Glad that the FM's conscience and legal acumen have finally stirred to condemn the indiscriminate targeting of eminent bankers (in cases where the allegations are about thousands of crores of rupees),” Chidambaram, a former finance minister, said.

“They were in slumber when there was indiscriminate targeting of distinguished IAS officers and others (in cases where the allegations are about small sums of money),” the Congress leader said.

“What cause are we serving or actually hurting? asks the Finance Minister. He knows the answer. The cause of justice,” the Congress leader said.