INX Media case: Priyanka Gandhi expressed support for P Chidambaram in her tweets.

As former Union Minister P Chidambaram appeared to face arrest in a corruption investigation, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra tweeted in support of the senior Congress leader, alleging that he was being "shamefully hunted down" for speaking the truth.

Investigating agencies have been on Mr Chidambaram's trail after a court yesterday denied him protection from arrest in a case in which he is accused of facilitating, as the country's Finance Minister, a huge infusion of foreign funds in the company INX Media, at the instance of his son Karti Chidambaram, who allegedly received kickbacks for his role.

Priyanka Gandhi expressed support for him in her tweets.

"An extremely qualified and respected member of the Rajya Sabha, @PChidambaram_IN ji has served our nation with loyalty for decades including as Finance Minister & Home Minister. He unhesitatingly speaks truth to power and exposes the failures of this government, but the truth is inconvenient to cowards so he is being shamefully hunted down," Priyanka Gandhi tweeted.

An extremely qualified and respected member of the Rajya Sabha, @PChidambaram_IN ji has served our nation with loyalty for decades including as Finance Minister & Home Minister. He unhesitatingly speaks truth to power and exposes the failures of this government,

1/2 — Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) August 21, 2019

"We stand by him and will continue to fight for the truth no matter what the consequences are," posted the Congress general secretary on Mr Chidambaram, who has been Finance Minister and Home Minister in Congress governments.

BJP communications wing in-charge Amit Malviya criticised Priyanka Gandhi for her comments. "Priyanka Vadra's support for P Chidambaram is quite natural. After all she has the experience of standing by Robert Vadra too, who is also facing several investigations for serious economic offences," Mr Malviya tweeted.

Several Congress leaders have come out in support of Mr Chidambaram since yesterday. He has not been seen amid visits to his home in Delhi by the CBI and Enforcement Directorate.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala tweeted, "India witnesses worst kind of virulent vendetta by Modi Government as the BJP runs a police state. Judge reserves judgement for 7 months and delivers it 72 hours before retirement, CBI/ED are sent to raid as a respected former FM is hounded. Banana Republic?"