Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy, who had filed the petition against Mr. Chidambaram in the 2G case, said on Friday he would seek a review of the Supreme Court judgment giving a clean chit to the Finance Minister.
Even as the government said its position that Mr. Chidambaram had done no wrong stood vindicated, and its allies rallied behind it, the Left parties said they were not satisfied with the ruling and vowed to continue to demand calling Mr. Chidambaram to the JPC.
Mr. Chidambaram himself refused to comment on the judgment. .
“I have never commented on any of the proceedings pending in one court or another. And I do not intend to break that tradition,” he said.
But several Union Ministers, while welcoming the ruling, said the government had always maintained that Mr. Chidambaram was innocent and the case against him was politically-motivated.
Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal said: “I have told you before that Chidambaram was innocent. Because we knew what was the reality and today it was proved that Chidambaram was innocent and he had no hand in it... It is all politically motivated.”
Law Minister Salman Khurshid said he had “great conviction from the beginning and the court has also accepted our arguments in the case.”
He said people had a right to move a court “but when it gives a decision, it should be respected by all.”
UPA allies the NCP, the Samajwadi Party and the BSP also welcomed the ruling.
Senior CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury said: “Whatever the SC says, law will take its own course. But our duty is to seek an answer from the government on the issue in Parliament and we will do it because it is answerable to the House.”
CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta, who is also member of JPC, said the apex court judgment “does not prevent us from raising the demand for calling the Finance Minister to the JPC.”
