'Raids don't happen overnight', Centre swats away Congress' allegations

Hitting back at the Congress' allegations that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government is responsible for the CBI raids, the Centre on Tuesday said that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government is just focused on the developmental work in the country and doesn't interfere in the law.

Addressing the media, Union Minister of State for Power Piyush Goyal said, "We never interfere in the law. The investigation must have been going on after all raids don't happen overnight and there must have been reasons for investigative agencies to take the actions that they have taken."

Asserting that it is time for Chidambaram to answer, Goyal stated that law is taking its course and the Congress party is nervous.

"Instead of introspecting where they are going wrong and why they lost the faith of people. The Congress is busy in raising non important issues which the nation is not willing to accept," the BJP leader said.

"In three years, we have given nation honest scam free government, decisive leader, pro poor thrust on governance and fastest growing large economy," said Goyal added.

Speaking on the Income Tax raid on companies and people associated with RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, Goyal said, "We did not ask the fodder scam case to reopen. The Supreme Court did that. Clearly, investigation must have been going on."

With the Chidambaram residence being raided today in connection with the FIPB approval in several cases, the senior Congress leader lashed out at the Centre, accusing it of using national agencies to target his son.

"FIPB approval is granted in hundreds of cases. The five Secretaries who constitute the FIPB, the officials of the FIPB Secretariat and the competent authority in each case are the public officials. There is no allegation against any of them. There is no allegation against me," he said in a statement.

Asserting that every case was processed according to law, Chidambaram added that the approval was granted or refused in accordance with the recommendations of the FIBP consisting of five Secretaries to the Government of India.

"The government, using the CBI and other agencies, is targeting my son and his friends. The government's aim is to silence my voice and stop me from writing, as it has tried to do in the cases of leaders of Opposition parties, journalists, columnists, NGOs and civil society organizations. All I will say is, I shall continue to speak and write," the senior Congress leader added.

Meanwhile, the CBI is expected to raid Chidambaram's native place in Karaikudi also.

The raids are happening at around 14 different locations in Chennai and also in the national capital in connection with the criminal misconduct in grant of FIPB approval.

-ANI