New Delhi: Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Thursday invoked an oft-quoted line of Jesus Christ to dismiss the BJP’s allegation that he or his son had financially benefited from a telecom deal in 2006 when he was the Finance Minister.
“Father forgive them for they know not what they do’… I pray the God forgive their sins,” Chidambaram said in the Lok Sabha, recalling a lesson a missionary teacher had taught him in his school days.
BJP’s Yashwant Sinha, citing a newspaper report and Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy’s allegations, earlier said Chidambaram had delayed permission for the sale of Aircel to Malaysia-based Maxis in 2006 to benefit his son Karthi.
Swamy had earlier written a letter to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, alleging that Karthi’s firm and Aircel had entered into a ‘dubious transaction’ in March 2006, just before Maxis’ investment of Rs 4,000 crore in the telecom company. The letter said Chidambaram, the then Finance Minister, had ensured that the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance on the Aircel-Maxis deal be given only after his son’s company got a share in Aircel. (IANS)