‘Will be strong and brave’, tweets P Chidambaram after Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh visit him in Tihar jail

india

Updated: Jul 03, 2020 02:23 IST

Former Union finance minister P Chidambaram on Monday said that he will be strong and brave after he met with Congress president Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh in Tihar Jail .

The senior Congress leader, who is in jail since September 5 in connection with the INX Media case filed by the CBI, said this in a tweet. He also said he was “honoured” that the UPA chairperson and former PM had visited him. The visit is being seen as the Congress’ complete backing for the former finance minister.

Chidambaram’s family has been tweeting on his behalf from his official Twitter handle ever since he has been in jail.

I have asked my family to tweet on my behalf the following:



I am honoured that Smt. Sonia Gandhi and Dr. Manmohan Singh called on me today.



As long as the @INCIndia party is strong and brave, I will also be strong and brave. — P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) 23 September 2019

In another tweet on Monday, Chidambaram targeted the central government on the issues of unemployment, mob violence and the situation in Kashmir, without taking any names.

“Bharat mai sab achha hai. Except for unemployment, loss of existing jobs, lower wages, mob violence, lockdown in Kashmir and throwing Opposition leaders in prison,” he said.

Bharat mai sab achha hai.



Except for unemployment, loss of existing jobs, lower wages, mob violence, lockdown in Kashmir and throwing Opposition leaders in prison. — P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) 23 September 2019

Chidambaram’s son Karti, who also met him in jail on Monday, expressed his gratitude to Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh for visiting the former minister, reports ANI.

“My father and my family are extremely grateful to Congress President Sonia Gandhi and former PM Dr Manmohan Singh for visiting him today and for extending their support. It’s a big boost for us in this political fight,” he said.

Jail officers said Singh and Gandhi reached Tihar at around 7 and went directly to jail number 7 where they spoke to Chidambaram for about half an hour.

Since Chidambaram’s arrest the prison has seen many senior political leader visit the former minister in jail. Senior leaders Ahmed Patel and Ghulam Nabi Azad visited Chidambaram last week.

The former minister was sent to Tihar jail on September 5 at the end of his custodial interrogation by the CBI, which arrested him on August 21. His first stint in Tihar was for 14 days after which the CBI court in Delhi on September 20, extended his judicial custody by two more weeks. Special Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar had remanded Chidambaram to custody until October 3.

Chidambaram has been alloted a single high security cell inside Tihar.