Does Congress support Chidambaram's 'separatist' stance: Centre asks Sonia Gandhi

Comparing Congress leader P. Chidambaram's language used in his recent statement with that of a separatist, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has questioned Congress President Sonia Gandhi if Chidambaram's stance represents the stance of the Congress.

"As far as P. Chidambaram is concerned, I am amazed at the language he is using, almost akin to a separatist. I would like to ask Sonia Gandhi, does the comment of P. Chidambaram represent the views of Congress Party," Prasad told ANI.

Defending the remarks made by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley at the London School of Economics, Prasad said that the former has always stood for freedom of speech and expression.

 

"Arun Jaitley was the president of Delhi University in 1974-75 and was opposing the emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi and the way freedom was completely compromised and people were put into jail. Mr. Jaitley also went to jail, not for breaking India, but for the freedom of Indians," he said.

"I do not know where Chidambaram was then, but I think he needs to understand that BJP has always stood for freedom and also for integrity of India," he added.

Speaking at the London School of Economics earlier, Jaitley had said that freedom of speech does not allow anyone to challenge the sovereignty of the nation.

"Any idea which thinks in terms of disintegration of the country is something I abhor. Within the framework of upholding the sovereignty of the country, we can ideologically differ but free speech does not permit you to assault the sovereignty of the country," Jaitley said.

Responding to the statement, Chidambaram had asked if Jaitley was heading an "alliance of subversion" when he was the President of Delhi University students union in 1975.

"When Mr Jaitley was President of DUSU in 1975, was he heading an 'Alliance of Subversion'?" he tweeted.

The above remarks came in the backdrop of the violence that has engulfed the Delhi University following mass protest by the students against disruption of a cultural event at Ramjas College by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).