Chidambaram Attacks Sitharaman On Twitter For Raising Questions On His Foreign Assets, Calls Her ‘I-T Lawyer’

On Sunday, at a press conference organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman led the charge against former Finance Minister P Chidambaram on black money and compared income tax cases against him with corruption charges against Nawaz Sharif, Times of India reported.

"The I-T department filed chargesheets in a Chennai city court on 11th May, 2018 against Chidambaram’s wife Nalini, son Karti and his wife Srinidhi under section 50 of the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015," the Defence Minister said.

Calling it the "Nawaz Sharif moment" of the Congress Party, Sitharaman asked if party president Rahul Gandhi, who along with United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi is out on bail, investigate allegations against Chidambaram.

"For some time now, we have been hearing through the media that a lot of action by the I-T authorities against the former Finance Minister, P Chidambaram, and his family. We want to draw through the media, your attention and also the people of India's attention, to the facts around it and put forth before you, if in India for the Congress party, this is the Nawaz Sharif moment," she added.

Chidambaram took to Twitter to rubbish charges against him. Attacking Sitharaman for raising questions on his foreign assets, he said there was a buzz she would be removed from the cabinet and appointed a lawyer of the Income Tax Department. He also reminded the BJP of its failure to bring back black money from abroad.

“The buzz in Delhi is that Ms Nirmala Sitaraman will be removed as Defence Minister and appointed as lawyer of the Income-tax department. Welcome to the bar, Ms Sitaraman,” the former Finance Minister said.

“The president of the richest political party in India is dreaming of billions of dollars! Bring the money back and put Rs 15 lakhs in the account of every Indian as you promised,” Chidambaram added.