Karti Chidambaram writes to Lok Sabha Speaker, says CBI action ‘grossly illegal’

Karti Chidambaram urged Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to take immediate cognizance of the issue, saying that CBI’s action was a brazen breach of his Parliamentary privilege.

NEW DELHI: Member of Parliament (MP) and Congress leader Karti Chidambaram has accused the Centre of silencing his voice by using investigating agencies resulting in the ‘breach of privileges’ as a parliamentarian. Writing a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, he said the present government is trying to silence his and his family’s voice of dissent by “foisting one fake case after another.”

Karti Chidambaram, who has been accused of a visa scam, was summoned by CBI for the second time on Friday. (PTI)

Chidambaram, who is the son of former Union finance minister P Chidambaram, has been accused of a visa scam, for which he was summoned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for the second day on Friday. He was questioned by the investigating agency for nine hours.

“Over the course of the past few years, my family and I have become targets of a relentless campaign by the present government and its investigating agencies…such targeted intimidation of a member of the House amounts to a breach of privilege,” he said in the letter.

Terming CBI’s actions as a direct assault on the democratic principles, Chidambaram said he became the victim of “grossly illegal and patently unconstitutional action.” He said CBI raided his Delhi residence and confiscated documents that are “highly confidential and personal.”

“In the course of this so-called raid, certain officers of CBI seized my highly confidential and sensitive personal notes and papers pertaining to the Parliamentary Standing Committee for Information and Technology, of which I am a Member,” the leader said. His draft notes, questions and handwritten notes were also seized. He urged the Lok Sabha Speaker to take note of the matter.

“These actions by the CBI, in so far as they relate to interference with my duties as a Parliamentarian, amount to a direct assault upon the democratic principles on which our Parliament is founded. I, therefore, urge you (Om Birla) to take immediate cognizance of this issue, which is a brazen breach of my Parliamentary privilege,” he said.