National Herald case- Chidambaram interview: if ED follows law we have no problem

As Rahul Gandhi appeared before the Enforcement Directorate for the second straight day on Tuesday, his party colleague P Chidambaram spoke about the National Herald case being probed by the central probe agency.

The former finance minister accused the ED of not following the law, saying why the probe agency which reports to the home ministry was not filing cases against BJP leaders or the states in which the saffron party is ruling.

"Obviously, they're not following the law & in a democracy, we are entitled to protest... is there any BJP leader against whom the ED has registered a case in the last 4-5 years? Is there any BJP-ruled state where the ED has registered a case?," the Congress leader asked.

Chidambaram, who along with party colleagues participated in a protest march as Rahul Gandhi appeared before the ED, said three big, burly policemen crashed into him and he was lucky to get away with a "suspected hairline crack".

Hundreds of Congress workers in Delhi and state capitals took to the streets and several senior leaders, including Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Randeep Surjewala and K C Venugopal, were detained here amid a massive show of strength by the party which had called for the Satyagraha march against the ED summons.

The ED recently registered a fresh case under the criminal provisions of the PMLA after a trial court took cognisance of an Income Tax Department probe against Young Indian Pvt Ltd based on a private criminal complaint filed by BJP MP Subramanian Swamy in 2013.

About the ED summons to Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi and the Congress' decision of a show of strength, Chidambaram said, "I speak as a Congress member and an advocate. The ED's summons to Rahul Gandhi under PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) is baseless."

Pointing out that the offence of money laundering requires 'money' and "laundering of money", the former home minister said in the National Herald debt-to-equity conversion, something which lending banks do on a regular basis, there was no transaction of money.

Therefore, how can there be money laundering, he posed.

"It is like accusing a person of purse snatching when there was no purse and no snatching," Chidambaram argued.

Also Watch: What is the National Herald case — a video explainer