Govt should put evidence before court: Chidambaram on Karti

New Delhi: Under attack over alleged irregularities in financial dealings of his son Karti, former Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Saturday said the government should place any evidence it has in a court of law.

"If he has any evidence, he should place it in a court of law.... No evidence, only innuendos and suggestions in Parliament. Parliament is not court, everything should be in a court of law," Chidambaram told reporters at the AICC headquarters.

He was asked about Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's reported remark that the government will name the Congress leaders allegedly involved in scams in Parliament.

Chidambaram dismissed as "irresponsible" Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijuju's controversial charge that in the Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case, the then Home Ministry headed by Chidambaram worked in "tandem" with terror outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba.

"We were having breakfast with Lashker-e-Toiba and then invited them over dinner too. These are irresponsible statements," he retorted.

Replying to a query over saffron terrorism and the way the accused in the cases like Malegaon blasts were being acquitted, he said, "Of course there is a pattern in it.

"A book released yesterday by someone that also hints at the pattern. How can witnesses suddenly turn hostile after new government comes in?"

Apparently referring to the late Maharashtra ATS Chief Hemant Karkare, who had investigated the cases, he derided attempts to tarnish the memory of a "martyred" police officer who is known for his impeccable record and honesty.

"Those who have heart and conscious must read Julio Ribeiro's passionate article which appeared in one of the newspapers a few days ago. If Ribeiro's article did not move our hearts nothing else will," he said.

He also said that social tension and high growth do not go together.

"Unless there is social peace and harmony, unless there is stability for the workers, unless minorities, dalits and farmers feel secure, we will not whole-heartedly participate in producing goods and services. No country which has recurrent social tension has achieved high growth," the Congress leader added.