P Chidambaram has violated his bail conditions: Prakash Javadekar

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar on Thursday hit out at former finance minister senior Congress leader P Chidambaram saying that Chidambaram has violated bail conditions on the very first day by claiming clear record.

"P Chidambaram has violated his bail conditions. The court had asked him to not give any public statement on the case as a condition for bail but Chidambaram today said that his record as a minister was very clear," Javadekar said. 

The claim of Chidambaram, who was released on bail on Wednesday after spending 106 days in jail, amounted to 'self- certification', Javadekar said.

The Supreme Court had asked the Congress leader not to speak about the case against him while ordering his release on bail. What he said is in violation of this condition, the BJP leader said.

Earlier in the day, Chidambaram held a press meet and said, "My record as Minister and my conscience are absolutely clear. Officers who have worked with me, business persons who have interacted with me and journalists who have observed me know that very well."

On Wednesday, Chidambaram was released from Tihar jail in the evening at around 8 pm after the Supreme Court (SC) granted him bail in the INX Media case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

The SC set aside the Delhi High Court's order which had refused to grant bail to Chidambaram and directed him not to tamper with evidence and influence witnesses in the case.

Chidambaram shall not give a press interview and not make public statements with regard to this case, the court ordered, while directing him to furnish a bail bond of Rs 2 lakh plus two sureties of the same amount.

Chidambaram had sought the bail in a case pertaining to the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance given to INX Media to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 during his tenure as the Finance Minister.

The CBI had registered a corruption case in this regard in May 2017. Later that year, the ED also lodged a money laundering case against him.

The Congress leader was first arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on August 21 this year in the INX Media corruption case but was granted bail by the Supreme Court two months later.

He was arrested by the ED in the money laundering case on October 16.

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