Centre Wanted to Wreck My Mental Strength, Says Chidambaram on His Imprisonment

Chennai: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Saturday accused the Central government of trying to wreck his mental strength by imprisoning him in the INX Media case.

The former Minister, who spent 106 days in Delhi's Tihar jail, however, did not explicitly mention the case against him filed by the Enforcement Directorate or the CBI.

"I am not going talk about the case. Why I was imprisoned? They thought of wrecking my mental strength and it will not happen any day. If anybody had thought that I will fall, I will never fall as the Congress party and the Indian people's thirst for freedom are behind me...it is going to be a fight continuously," he told reporters here on his arrival from Delhi.

Chidambaram also accused the government of trying to wreck his physical health, adding they succeeded for about 10 days.

After the court's intervention and examination by doctors, "today (my) health has more or less improved fully," he said.

He claimed that the economy was moving towards the worst phase and cautioned the people to be on guard. In the coming days, he would continuously "speak and write," he said.

On women's safety, Chidambaram said after he assumed charge as Finance Minister during the UPA regime, Rs 3,100 crore was allotted for the Nirbhaya fund and alleged that several states, including Tamil Nadu had not utilised it, which was regrettable.

"The Nirbhaya fund should be used and women's safety should be ensured."

Alleging that the entire country was turning into a killing field for the women, he said Uttar Pradesh, in particular, was becoming one.

Asserting that this must not happen, he said the onus of halting the trend hence lay not only on the government and women, but also men. "Every man should protect women," he said.

Asked about Union Minister Prakash Javadekar's charge that he has violated his bail conditions, he said: "Prakash Javadekar does not know about the (Supreme Court) court's verdict and he also does not about what I had spoken."

Chidambaram walked out of prison on December 4 after the Supreme Court granted him bail in a money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate linked to the INX Media.

The CBI, probing the corruption charge in the media case had registered a case on May 15, 2017.

The probe agency alleged irregularities in a Foreign Investment Promotion Board clearance granted to the INX Media group for receiving overseas funds of Rs 305 crore in 2007 during Chidambaram's tenure as finance minister. The ED lodged a money laundering case after that.