Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other 11 leader who landed today at the Srinagar Airport were sent back to Delhi, reported news agency ANI.

P Chidambaram was presented before the court at around 3 PM after a medical check-up. His son Krati Chidambaram and wife had reached the court complex hours before him. So did his team of lawyers including senior Congress leaders Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Singhvi.

“The vindictive, selective and malicious manner in which former Finance Minister & Home Minister, Shri P Chidambaram has been persecuted and prosecuted is nothing short of a brazen personal and political vendetta,” Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said at a media briefing at the party headquarters.

Former Union Home Minister P Chidambaram has been arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigations agency on Wednesday evening amid high drama outside his residence in South Delhi. His supporters shouted slogans and the CBI officials had to face harsh time while making an attempt to get inside the house. He has now been taken into the CBI custody for questioning.

Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday targeted Congress party over P Chidambaram not surrendering before the CBI in a corruption case against him. They said the latter must be ashamed of its leader who has turned into an absconder after Delhi High Court rejected his anticipatory bail plea in the matter.

Rahul Gandhi tagged the development as "disgraceful misuse of power", his sister Priyanka Gandhi said the former minister was being "shamefully hunted down".

"Dear Maalik ji, I saw your feeble reply to my tweet. I accept your invitation to visit Jammu & Kashmir and meet the people, with no conditions attached. When can I come?" Rahul Gandhi tweeted this morning.

"We won't need an aircraft but please ensure us the freedom to travel and meet the people, mainstream leaders and our soldiers stationed over there," replied the former Congress president.

The party's top decision-making body will again meet at around 8PM to discuss upon the reports by five panel made today to finalise the name of successor of Rahul Gandhi.

A high-level meeting will be conducted on Saturday to pick new Congress chief, two months after Rahul Gandhi announced his retirement from the post, owning responsibility of the Lok Sabha Election debacle in 2019.