Deeply hurt… dont have any interest in (hotelier) case: PC

I was clear that no directions should be given... What conflict of interest?

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The BJP-led opposition continued to disrupt proceedings of parliament for the second consecutive day today,demanding the resignation of union Home Minister P Chidambaram for allegedly clearing the withdrawal of three FIRs against Delhi hotelier S P Gupta who was his client.

Saying he was deeply hurt, Chidambaram rubbished the BJPs conflict-of-interest allegations asserting he had done nothing wrong.

The confidential draft (sent to the Delhi government by the MHA and which said it had the approval of the home minister) was prepared by the director (A K Saxena) who didnt show it to anyone. I was clear that no directions should be given… What conflict of interest? A lawyer in his career appears in scores of cases. Does he carry interests in all cases throughout his life? I may have appeared in one or two cases (during the said time)… But I dont have any current subsisting interest with any case, Chidambaram said.

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Flanked by Home Secretary R K Singh and ex-home secretary G K Pillai,Chidambaram said he had ordered that only the law ministrys opinion be conveyed to the Delhi government. Multiple representations,he said,were made by Gupta,the first one being in 2005. Pillai,who was home secretary when the law ministry opinion came,said: I clearly remember that the home minister had written that the home ministry… should not give any direction on the issue.

Yesterday,after the uproar,Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Tejendra Khanna revoked the withdrawal of prosecution against Gupta,owner of Sunair Hotels,which owns the five-star Metropolitan Hotel in the city.