Union Minister Arun Jaitley and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram seem to be thinking along similar lines. As Jaitley took to writing a blog titled, “Investigative Adventurism Vs Professional Investigation”, ostensibly questioning the CBI probe in the ICICI-Videocon loan case and defending those accused; Chidambaram seems to be in absolute agreement as he took to Twitter to agree with him.
“The CBI has received the ultimate certificate from the one who has the best ring-side seat, the Finance Minister (on leave): ‘Adventurism and megalomania have overtaken investigators’!” wrote Chidambaram, wholeheartedly endorsing Jaitley’s shocking declaration: “Investigative Adventurism leads to media leaks, ruins reputations and eventually invites strictures and not convictions. In the process, the targets are ruined because of harassment, loss of reputation and financial costs. It costs people their career.”
Jaitley was, of course, referring to the CBI probe in the ICICI-Videocon loan case, where the CBI had booked former ICICI Bank CEO and MD Chanda Kochhar, her husband Deepak Kochhar and Videocon group MD Venugopal Dhoot in connection with alleged cheating and irregularities in loans sanctioned by the bank to the group in 2012. Videocon promoter Venugopal Dhoot allegedly invested crores of rupees in Nupower months after the Videocon group got Rs 3,250 crore as loan from the ICICI Bank in 2012.
One can easily guess why Chidambaram has a problem with CBI probes — bankers, like most men and women who wield financial power, have friends in high places. Chidambaram’s statements are a transparent testament to such ties.
As NewsCentral24x7 noted previously, more than shocking, Jaitley’s comments about the actions of India’s premier investigative agency is embarrassing for the Narendra Modi government which came into power peddling rhetoric of cracking down on corruption and frauds. What is equally shocking (and embarrassing) is that a senior Opposition leader, who usually has no qualms about calling the present dispensation corrupt, finds it convenient to be in sync with Jaitley’s ridiculous and utterly irresponsible comments.
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