Reacting to CBI’s FIR on kickbacks gained from FIPB approval by son Karti, Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Monday said it was “preposterous” to suggest that any member of his family could influence six secretaries of the Central Government who were part of the FIPB.
Rejecting the allegations, law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the FIR has detailed the discrepancies and the Government doesn’t believe revenge in politics.
Strongly refuting allegations that his son Karti had influenced the decisions of the now-defunct Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) when he was the Finance Minister, Chidambaram said it was a “despicable slur” on the six secretaries of the Government.
The former Finance Minister said anyone familiar with the working of the FIPB knows that no single officer could take a decision on any proposal and it was a collective decision of six secretaries.
“Anyone who has worked with me knows that no one would dare to influence my decisions. I had never allowed any family member to speak to me or to any officer of my Ministry on any official matter,” he said in a statement.
It was therefore, he said, “preposterous” to suggest that a member of his family, with or without his knowledge, influenced, by corrupt or illegal means, the six secretaries who constituted the FIPB.
“Such an allegation is a despicable slur on the six secretaries of the Government who constituted the FIPB at the relevant time,” he said.
The CBI last fortnight had filed an FIR against Karti and INX Media founders Indrani and Peter Mukerjea on charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating, receiving illegal gratification, influencing public servants and criminal misconduct.
The former Finance Minister said as far as FIPB cases were concerned, he had approved only those cases that were recommended by the FIPB and put up to him by the secretary, economic affairs. Chidambaram said the FIPB was serviced by a secretariat and chaired by the secretary, economic affairs and included four other secretaries — industry, commerce, external affairs and overseas Indian affairs and the secretary of the administrative Ministry.
“I make this statement so that the misinformation emanating from Chennai is exposed. Ultimately, the course of law will expose the mischief makers. I have advised my son to fully cooperate with the investigation and he will do so,” he said.