On P Chidambaram's 74th birthday, Karti wishes father in two-page letter, compares his detention in Tihar to Kashmir's 'unfair' lockdown

Taking to Twitter, former finance minister P Chidambaram’s son Karti wished him on his birthday and posted a two-page long letter. “Dear Appa,” the letter began, “you are turning 74 today…Although you have never been one for grand celebrations,…your birthday is not the same without you with us”. Chidambaram, who turns 74 today, was sent to judicial custody for 14 days on 5 September in a corruption case related to the INX Media group.

#HBDPChidambaram @PChidambaram_IN @ANI @ndtv @IndiaToday @CNNnews18 @timesofindia @EconomicTimes @TimesNow @NewsX @the_hindu @IndianExpress @SunTV @PTTVOnlineNews @HindustanTimes @aajtak @dinathanthi @INCIndia @INCTamilNadu pic.twitter.com/9hSKqpSWcZ

— Karti P Chidambaram (@KartiPC) September 15, 2019

In the letter, Karti wrote, “I am glad to know that your spirits are high despite everything”. He mentions that his father has been allowed to read newspapers and watch limited television while his time behind the bars. He further added, “abreast of what’s happening, let me still bring you up to speed.” The letter lists out the major news events across the world and the country.  Mentioning the Chandrayaan 2 mission, Karti said, “You would have been so excited to watch the live stream”. He also criticized the government and said, “I sincerely hope our Prime Minister pegs the achievements of our ISRO scientists a little above his Bhakts believe…In fact, last week, Piyush Goyal even snatched the theory of gravity away from Newton”.

Comparing Chidambaram’s detention in Tihar with the lockdown in Kashmir over Article 370, Karti in the letter said,  “Because both of you have been locked down unfairly… My heart goes out to all the families”. “At least we are able to visit you, and pass on your messages via tweet”, he added. He criticised the Centre for the situation in Assam after NRC and said, “I have to applaud the government for being extremely imaginative and creative in the face of bad news, a bit like the search for the details of our mythical bank accounts from across the world. Wish we knew where all these millions were”. Aiming the government on the GDP slowdown, Karti refers said, “What an achievement that the auto sales have fallen for the 10th in a row”. “I am sure you would have greatly appreciated your successor twice removed Ms Nirmala Sitharaman’s astute insight that the economic slowdown has been principally caused by the millennial’s preference for ride-sharing app”, he added. The letter continues to describe several other international events, all dig at the BJP-led government. He appreciated how the British parliament fought back to Boris Johson’s idea of Brexit and also about the wide-scale protests in Hong Kong. Hitting out at the government, Karti said that the government celebrated 100 days of their rule and “the BJP government celebrated their unpropitious second innings and they couldn’t have possibly found a better time to silence you”. Karti informed his father that Rafeal Nadal has won the US Open. “Had you been at home, we would have definitely watched the match together”, after Nadal won, he shook hand with his opponent “…the way civilised opponents should. Not get vindictive and punish them for no cause”. He concluded the birthday letter for his father saying, “We all await that hard-fought glory of truth”. With inputs from agencies