P Chidambaram should face INX Media case: D. Jayakumar

CHENNAI: AIADMK senior and fisheries minister D. Jayakumar said it will be good for Congress leader P. Chidambaram to face the case initiated against him the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and CBI in the money laundering case.

"The court itself has said (that) he is the kingpin (in the money laundering case)...any case has to be faced, there is no point running away," Mr Jayakumar said, in an apparent reference to the whereabouts of the former Union Minister allegedly remaining unknown.

The former Union minister who made a dramatic appearance at the AICC office in New Delhi on Wednesday night said, "I was working alongside my lawyers all night. I was accused of running away but on the contrary, I was engaged in pursuit of justice. I bow down to the orders of the SC and between now and Friday, I shall respect the law even if its applied unequally by investigating agencies." He also claimed that he has not been accused of any wrongdoing in INX media case.

"It will be good for him to face the case," Jayakumar advised. Speaking to reporters here on Wednesday, he said the central agencies - CBI and ED - were acting against Chidambaram following a "court decision," apparently referring to the Delhi High Court denying the Congress veteran anticipatory bail in the case on Tuesday.

 Pointing out that Chidambaram had said the AIADMK leaders would be sent to jail once the Congress party comes to power, Jayakumar said "we did not get angry then because we knew that Congress will never come to power. We had no fear as we had nothing to hide (madiyil ganam illai, vazhiyil bayam illai)."