Even as he drew support from industry and some ministers, Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla broke his silence on Friday, rubbishing the FIR filed by the CBI in a coal block allocation case. He said he was not worried because no wrong was committed.
Mr. Birla met Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram and Revenue Secretary Sumit Bose and told reporters later that he had discussed the issue with the Minister.
“As of now, I am not worried about it. There is nothing wrong [that] has been done. So why should one worry?” He was asked whether the FIR naming him and his flagship company Hindalco would cast a shadow on the Aditya Birla Group’s application for a bank licence.
Meanwhile, the Confederation of Indian Industry joined others in slamming the FIR against Mr. Birla. It said the CBI had the right to proceed against anyone, but it should be careful before taking action against reputed industrialists to avoid creating a sense of fear.
