Chidambaram rejects BJP charges,denies interest in any case

BJP says he had favoured a Delhi-based hotelier in withdrawing 3 FIRs filed against him.

Expressing deep hurt,Home Minister P Chidambaram today strongly rejected BJP’s allegation that he had favoured a Delhi-based hotelier,his former client,in withdrawing three FIRs filed against him and dismissed suggestions there was any conflict of interest involved in it.

Chidambaram said since 2004,hotelier S P Gupta had made more than 40 representations to the Home Ministry requesting to withdraw the three FIRs filed against him,which were also backed by three MPs.

“I feel deeply hurt. I strongly reject completely unfounded allegations of BJP,” the Home Minister,flanked by Home secretary R K Singh and his predecessor G K Pillai,told reporters.

Chidambaram’s remarks came against the backdrop of a raging controversy over the withdrawal of three FIRs against S P Gupta,who runs M/s Sunair Hotels Pvt Ltd.

The three FIRs relate to Gupta allegedly misusing the names of the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi,Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and defrauding a firm — VLS Finance — to the tune of several crores of rupees.

Reports also suggested there was a conflict of interest as Gupta was a client of Chidambaram who fought his cases in the court as a lawyer. The reports also claimed that Chidambaram as a Home Minister recommended to the Delhi government to withdraw the FIRs.

However,the Delhi government yesterday had revoked its earlier decision not to press for prosecution of cases against a hotelier.

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Dismissing the opposition charge of conflict of interest,Chidambaram said he can’t have life long interest in over 25,000 cases he represented as lawyer in last four decades.

“This is a most ridiculous charge. I don’t have any current subsisting interest with any case,” he said.