BJP trying to weaken Congress by raiding its vocal members: Mallikarjun Kharge

Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday said the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is trying to weaken the grand old party by conducting raids on its members.

His statement came in the wake of a raid by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Congress leader P Chidambaram's home and offices over allegations of bribery.

Kharge said the Congress MP, also a former Union minister “is a good lawyer and economist”, but is being targeted as he is vocal about his thoughts, and participates in ‘speeches, and debates’. “People vocal in the Congress are being targeted,” Kharge added.

Also read: CBI books Karti Chidambaram for facilitating visas to Chinese nationals

Kharge, who is now the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, further said the BJP wants an autocratic regime in the country.

The CBI conducted searches at multiple residential and offices of Karti Chidambaram - son of P Chidambaram. The searches were conducted across nine locations in Mumbai, Chennai, Odisha, Punjab and Karnataka in connection with a fresh case against the Congress MP. Later, the agency named Karti Chidambaram and four others in an FIR for facilitating visas to a Chinese company beyond the ceiling.

Karti had allegedly received a bribe worth ₹50 lakh for facilitating around 260 visas to Chinese citizens so that they could work at a power project in Punjab’s Mansa. The power project is run by a private firm.

P Chidambaram was the Union home minister between 2008 and 2012. Visas come under the purview of the home ministry. The father-son duo are also facing separate CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) cases involving INX Media and Aircel-Maxis deal.

Meanwhile, Kharge also spoke about the controversy surrounding inclusion of RSS founder Keshav Hegdewar's speech in a Kannada textbook. "What did the RSS do to get a mention in history? Did they fight for independence? Work for the economy? It was all Nehru and Gandhi. They (RSS members) did not go to jail nor were they hanged. They did not try to do any work for national prosperity," the MP was quoted as saying by ANI.