NEW DELHI, May 16 (Xinhua) -- India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday raided residences of former finance minister P. Chidambaram and his son in connection with alleged financial irregularity.
The agency was conducting searches in the southern Indian city of Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu.
The raids were being carried out in connection with clearances given to a firm and misconduct in grant of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approval during Chidambaram's stint.
"The CBI today conducted raids at 12 places in Chennai including the residence of former minister Chidambaram and his son Karti Chidambaram," an official said. "CBI is also conducting searches at locations in Mumbai, Delhi and Gurugram in connection with the case."
Last month, Enforcement Directorate had issued a show-cause notice to Chidambaram's son Karti Chidambaram and a firm reportedly linked to him for alleged violations of the laws related to Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).
Chidambaram described the raids as government's move to "silence his voice".
"The government, using the CBI and other agencies, is targeting my son and his friends. The government's aim is to silence my voice and stop me from writing, as it has tried to do in the cases of leaders of opposition parties, journalists, columnists, NGOs and civil society organizations. All I will say is, I shall continue to speak and write," said a statement issued by Chidambaram after the raids.
Chidambaram, a senior leader of opposition National Congress, was finance minister in the Manmohan Singh government. He has also served as India's home minister.
The National Congress party also described the raids as "political conspiracy" and "vendetta."
"The CBI raid is a political witch-hunt and conspiracy by the government and the opposition members will not be silent over the issue," Congress party spokesman Randip Singh Surjewala said. "Neither P. Chidambaram nor the Congress party will be suppressed by such conspiracies of the autocratic government."
Chidambaram in his newspaper writings and speech often criticizes Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's policies and moves.
