Nirmala Sitharaman has been appointed attorney at Income Tax department: Chidambaram takes a dig at Union Minister

The BJP on Sunday mounted an attack on the Congress on corruption after chargesheets were filed against family members of P Chidambaram.

File photo (PTI)

New Delhi: P Chidambaram on Sunday hit back at Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman over her remarks describing the chargesheets against senior Congress leader's family members as the 'Nawaz Sharif moment' of the grand old party, a reference to Pakistan Supreme Court's decision disqualifying its former PM from holding office because of non-disclosure of assets and income earned abroad.

Taking a dig at the BJP leader, Chidambaram tweeted, "Nirmala Sitharaman has been removed from the post of Defence Minister and appointed as an attorney at the Income Tax department."

The buzz in Delhi is that Ms Nirmala Sitaraman will be removed as Defence Minister and appointed as lawyer of the Income-tax department. Welcome to the bar, Ms Sitaraman. — P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) May 13, 2018

Addressing the press in the national capital, the Union Minister had said, "The parallels cannot be missed out in this case. I am wondering if, for Congress party in India, we are seeing the Nawaz Sharif moment."

Sitharaman had also asked if Rahul Gandhi would investigate the issue involving his party's senior leader. The Congress party president, incidentally who is also out on bail on some financial transactions which are questionable, should certainly comment and tell the entire party and people of India whether he is going to investigate this, she had said. The BJP leader had added that the law on black money was brought in by the Modi government because it had pledged before the last Lok Sabha elections to fight unaccounted for money held in India and abroad.

Will Congress President Rahul Gandhi investigate this? It can't be an oversight. How can P. Chidambaram forget to disclose his assets abroad: Smt @nsitharaman https://t.co/Szq6TL6oRk #BlackMoneyOfPC — BJP (@BJP4India) May 13, 2018

Chidambaram didn't disclose its investments to tax authority, violating Black Money Law, which was brought by Modi govt as part of its drive against black money & to prosecute those Indians who have secretly stashed illicit wealth abroad: Smt @nsitharaman #BlackMoneyofPC — BJP (@BJP4India) May 13, 2018

The IT department filed ​four charge sheets in a Chennai city court on 11th May, 2018 against Chidambaram’s wife Nalini, son Karti and his wife Srinidhi under section 50 of the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015: Smt @nsitharaman — BJP (@BJP4India) May 13, 2018

The charge sheets claimed that the Chidambarams ​“did not disclose” these investments to the tax authority as also by the ​firm co-owned by Mr. Karti — Chess Global Advisory​, in violation of the black money law: Smt @nsitharaman #BlackMoneyOfPC — BJP (@BJP4India) May 13, 2018

Former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram’s family has been book​ed under Black Money Act for illegal assets in several countries and for operating illegal foreign bank accounts: Smt @nsitharaman https://t.co/Szq6TL6oRk #BlackMoneyOfPC pic.twitter.com/fKjh1EQVXH — BJP (@BJP4India) May 13, 2018

On the other hand, BJP president Amit Shah too cited the chargesheets filed by the I-T department against Chidambaram's family members to allege they had illegal assets worth 3 billion dollars.

Under the Black Money Act, 4 chargesheets have been filed against P Chidambaram and his family for possessing and operating several illegal assets and accounts in foreign countries. IT estimates illegal assets held by UPA's FM to be to the tune of 3 Bn dollars! #BlackMoneyOfPC — Amit Shah (@AmitShah) May 13, 2018

This explains why despite Supreme Court's orders Sonia Gandhi, former PM Dr Manmohan Singh & then FM P Chidambaram dragged their feet on formation of SIT, one of the first decisions taken by Modi govt, to fight Black Money! How could they indict their own selves? #BlackMoneyOfPC — Amit Shah (@AmitShah) May 13, 2018

Chidambaram retorted to Shah's charge in a tweet, urging the BJP to bring back black money stashed abroad - as promised by the party before the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

The president of the richest political party in India is dreaming of billions of dollars! Bring the money back and put Rs 15 lakhs in the account of every Indian as you promised. — P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) May 13, 2018

The I-T department on May 11, 2018, filed chargesheets against Chidambaram's wife Nalini, son Karti, daughter-in-law Srinidhi and a firm under the Black Money Act for allegedly not disclosing their foreign assets.

The chargesheets or prosecution complaints have been filed by the I-T department before a special court in Chennai under Section 50 of the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015, officials said, PTI reported.

Nalini Chidambaram, Karti and Srinidhi and a firm linked to Karti have been accused of not disclosing, either partly or fully, immovable assets such as one at Barton, Cambridge, UK, worth Rs 5.37 crore, property worth Rs 80 lakh in the same country and assets worth Rs 3.28 crore in the US.

The former finance minister's family members have said the I-T department chargesheets against them under the black money law were "baseless allegations" as the overseas investments under question had been reflected in their I-T returns. 

(With PTI inputs)