Cong slams opposition's 'campaign of calumny' against HM

With the case against P Chidambaram on the 2G issue dismissed by a Delhi trial court, Congress on Saturday went on offensive against the opposition asking them to apologise to the home minister and the nation for its "campaign of calumny".

"All the irresponsible individuals and political parties, who obstructed Parliament, performed dramas before the camera and tried to sensationalise legal judgements should now apologise to the nation, then to the Congress and then to Chidambaram," party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi told PTI.

Singhvi said that though "decency and morality require this" Congress has no doubt that "since both are lacking" in the Opposition parties, especially Bharatiya Janata Party, there will be no apology.

Another party spokesperson Manish Tewari said," Political parties especially the BJP, owe an apology to the nation for the unlimiting campaign of calumny, vilification and innuendo, which they have carried out over the past one year."

He also stressed that there is nothing at all in the 2G matter for the government to be ashamed of or for it to take moral responsibility.

"There is nothing at all, which the government has to be ashamed of. There is nothing for which we have to take moral responsibility...If at all there has been an indictment; it has been of the process.

"In so far as policy is concerned, the court has pronounced on the policy of the first cum first served (FCFS), which was put in place by NDA. The court has not said a single word about the so-called estimated loss of Rs 1.76 lakh

crore, which was being talked about for last one year," Tewari said.

He said that now that both courts have spoken, the Supreme Court and the trial court on substantively the same issue, "the matter should be allowed to rest" when asked whether Congress considers that the trial court order has given a clean chit to Chidambaram.