Ex-Finance Minister P. Chidambaram is out on bail after being in custody for more than 100 days (Front page, “Chidambaram gets bail in money laundering case,” Dec. 5). It is significant that charges have not been framed against him so far. It is an open secret that every ruling party misuses organisations like the Enforcement Agency (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to score political points against its political opponents. Truth is often the casualty in such cases.
D.B.N. Murthy,
Bengaluru
None expected P. Chidambaram to be incarcerated for 106 days for interrogation. It should not be forgotten that the courts’ repeated refusals for his release were based on incriminatory documentary evidence, the intensity of which may not be known to the common man at this stage. This bail is only a temporary respite as the numerous serious charges are not to be brushed aside. The proceedings are going to be lengthy. Further, political and personal vendetta cannot be attributed in the face of such voluminous documentary evidence.
V. Lakshmanan,
Tirupur, Tamil Nadu
As he himself put it, Mr. Chidambaram could breathe the air of freedom after 106 days of incarceration. Typically, he described his jailing as pre-trial punishment. Certainly, his incarceration goes against the maxim that ‘everyone is entitled to the presumption of innocence until they are proved to be guilty.’ It is hard to believe that the imprisonment had nothing to with his trenchant criticism of the Modi government on a wide range of issues. It cannot be said that the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate did not proceed against Mr. Chidambaram to please their political masters. It is a given that government agencies kowtow to the party in power. He testified that he emerged stronger in body and mind and divulged that the use of wooden cot without a pillow did his neck and spine a world of good. He held that the government was clueless on the economy. He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is maintaining an unusual silence on the economy and left it to his Cabinet colleagues to bluff and bluster. Mr. Chidambaram towers above most leaders for speaking out his mind fearlessly and his voice is needed to hold the government to account.
G. David Milton,
Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu
