CBI questions Chidambaram in INX Media case
New Delhi, June 6 : Former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram was on Wednesday questioned by the CBI in connection with its ongoing probe into the INX Media corruption case.
According to the agency, Chidambaram appeared at the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) headquarters around 11 a.m.
A special CBI Economic Offences Wing team started questioning Chidambaram about his role in granting Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approval to INX Media in 2007.
The team has prepared a set of questions for Chidambaram's clarifications. The senior Congress leader's statement would be recorded, according to a probe agency official.
Besides his clarification on FIPB clearance, Chidambaram would also be quizzed on Indrani Mukherjea's allegations and other aspects linked to the INX Media case.
The questioning is part of the CBI's investigation into a money laundering case registered in 2017 against Chidambaram's son Karti Chidambaram in the Aircel-Maxis case.
The CBI first issued the summons to Chidambaram in the case on June 1 asking him to appear the next day, but the Congress leader skipped the notice after the Delhi High Court granted him interim protection from arrest.
The court on May 31 granted interim protection to the Congress leader from arrest till July 3 in the INX Media case. Earlier, the court had allowed interim protection to his son Karti Chidambaram till July 10.
The CBI had on May 15, 2017, filed an FIR in the case accusing Chidambaram, his son Karti and others of involvement in irregularities committed in giving INX Media the clearance to receive Rs 305 crore in foreign investment.
The CBI had on February 28 arrested Karti in the case, accusing him of taking money to facilitate the FIPB clearance to INX Media in 2007 when his father was the Finance Minister during the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. Later, he was granted bail.
The CBI initially alleged that Karti had received Rs 10 lakh as bribe for facilitating the FIPB clearance.
The figure was, however, revised later to about $1 million or Rs 6.5 crore at the current exchange rate. The CBI and the Enforcement Directorate are probing the case.
On Tuesday, the former Finance Minister was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials for over five hours in the Rs 3,500 crore Aircel-Maxis deal case.
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Women's quota bill would have ensured defeat of democracy, Constitution: Aaditya Thackeray
Mumbai (PTI): Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Saturday said that the passage of the women's quota bill would have ensured a "total defeat of democracy", alleging that the legislation, linked with a delimitation exercise, was a political tool designed to reduce the voice of states.
Thackeray, in a post on X, claimed that the Bill would have amended the Constitution for the political means of the ruling regime to increase seats, reduce the voice of many states and enable the gerrymandering of constituencies to ensure unfair victories.
"The very amendment that would have ensured the total defeat of democracy and the Constitution in India stands rejected by the unity of the Opposition MPs," he wrote.
The legislation should have been called "Delimitation to ensure unfair victory Bill", the former minister said, adding that there was a genuine need to enable 33 per cent reservation for women in the current number of seats.
"Now, it is up to the government to ensure that it is implemented in the 543 seats of the Lok Sabha for the 2029 elections and all elections across India, if that is the real intent of the government," he wrote.
A Constitution Amendment Bill to implement reservation for women in legislatures in 2029 and increase the number of Lok Sabha seats was defeated on Friday in the Lower House.
While 298 members voted in support of the Bill, 230 MPs voted against it. Out of 528 members who voted, the Bill required 352 votes for a two-thirds majority.
According to the Constitution Amendment Bill, Lok Sabha seats were to be increased to a maximum of 850 from the current 543 to "operationalise" the women's reservation law before the 2029 parliamentary polls, following a delimitation exercise based on the 2011 Census.
