Kashmiris Being Denied Freedom, Govt Heading Towards Fascism, Says P Chidambaram In Latest Jibe At Centre

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, who was in Chennai for the first time after being in a Delhi prison for 106 days in the INX Media case, slammed the Centre over the Kashmir issued saying voices of freedom are being choked in several parts of the nation. “In several parts of the nation, freedom is being snatched away and voices of freedom are being choked...and you should not forget it at all,” he told reporters.

Alleging freedom was being denied to 75 lakh people in the Kashmir valley, he dubbed the Central government ‘retrograde’ and added if freedom of one person was denied, it meant denying it for all the people.

“Freedom cannot be separated, yours is mine and mine is yours and if I do not protect your freedom, you cannot protect mine,” he said.

"This retrograde government is heading towards fascism that denies freedom. We've got to be cautious," he added.

The country will become truly independent only when the people in the rest of the nation showed south India’s vigil and in particular Tamil Nadu’s caution in opposing the BJP, he claimed.

Lauding the people of the State, he said it was the people of Tamil Nadu who vehemently opposed the Saffron party and such a kind of opposition should spread across the country and it was his desire, he said. Earlier, Chidambaram was given a rousing reception by Congress workers at the airport.

After being in Tihar jail and in the custody of CBI and the Enforcement Directorate for 106 days, he was released on December 4 following grant of bail by the Supreme Court in a money laundering case filed by the ED.

With PTI Inputs