'Bulldozers are missing': Karti Chidambaram slams BJP for barricades outside Congress HQ

Taking a swipe at the BJP, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram on Monday expressed surprise that the ruling party had "only placed barricades and police" leading to the Congress office ahead of Rahul Gandhi's appearance before the ED, while the bulldozers were "missing".

Chidambaram said the bulldozers may have been "requisitioned to demolish the lives and houses" of citizens belonging to the minority faith.

Ahead of the proposed march by the Congress leaders, the Delhi Police on Monday imposed section 144 CrPC in the area around party headquarters at Akbar Road here asking them not to violate the law.

Rahul Gandhi has been summoned by the ED in a money laundering case pertaining to the National Herald-AJL case. The ED has also summoned Sonia Gandhi in the case on June 23.

The ruling BJP has demolished the homes of several Muslim figures allegedly linked to riots triggered by derogatory remarks about the Prophet Muhammad. The property owners in Uttar Pradesh were told to vacate their homes beforehand.

Muslims have been protesting after anti-Islamic comments made by two leading members of the governing BJP. Police have arrested more than 300 people in connection with the unrest.

The remarks were made by BJP spokeswoman Nupur Sharma during a TV debate in May.

In February 2018, Karti Chidambaram was arrested by the CBI in a money laundering case, where he was accused of receiving Rs. 1 million money from a media company for using his influence to manipulate a tax probe against it.

In March 2018, he applied for bail, and the judge assigned to hear his bail plea, Justice Indermeet Kaur of the Delhi High Court, recused herself from hearing the plea without providing a reason. He was granted bail by a different bench of the Delhi High Court.

In October 2018, the Enforcement Directorate said it has attached assets worth Rs. 54 crore of Karti Chidambaram in India, Spain and the UK in connection with a money laundering case related to INX Media, an action termed "bizarre and outlandish" by him.

In May 2019, Karti approached the Supreme court for return of his amount deposited for travelling abroad. The court however advised him to pay attention to his constituency instead.

On December 2020, he became the most raided person in India.