INX Media case: Mamata Banerjee slams Centre, says manner of P Chidambaram's arrest 'very depressing'

East Midnapore: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday hit out at the Centre stating that the process of arresting senior Congress leader P Chidambaram in connection with INX Media case was “incorrect” and handled in a very bad manner.

Despite raising questions over process of the arrest, the TMC supremo maintained that she is not talking about the “legality into the matter”. “Sometimes the process is incorrect, I am not talking about legality. But Chidambaram is a senior politician, he is a former finance minister and home minister of this country. The way his matter has been handled is very depressing, that is very bad and sad as well”, Banerjee said speaking to media persons. “We are very much mashing with our democracy”, she added.

Chidambaram, one of the key ministers during ten years of UPA regime, was taken to headquarters of the probe agency after CBI officials scaled the boundary walls of his residence in Jor Bagh on Wednesday night to arrest him in connection with the INX Media case.

He was arrested after he failed to get relief from the Supreme Court over CBI and ED’s pursuit of him. He is likely to be produced before a CBI court at Rouse Avenue on Thursday. In 2017, the CBI had registered an FIR alleging irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance given to INX Media to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 when Chidambaram was the finance minister. Based on the FIR, the ED had filed a Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case against him.

Congress leaders including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Randeep Singh Surjewala have backed the Rajya Sabha MP against his arrest by the investigation agencies. However, the BJP leaders urged the people to leave the matter up to the court of law.