In The Shadow

Despite his father’s clout, Karti never made it big in politics

- Lakshmi Subramanian

When the CBI arrested Karti Chidambaram at the Chennai International Airport on February 28, he promptly wrote in the arrest memo, “This whole exercise is to politically target my father.” Few would doubt that, as his father, P. Chidambaram, has been the fiercest critic of the Narendra Modi government of late. The former finance minister’s columns and lectures have been setting the tone for the criticism of the government by the business class.

Both Chidambaram and Karti knew it was coming. A few months ago, when the CBI raided his office and house, Karti told THE WEEK that it was a witch-hunt. “They want my father to be silent and I am the tool for that,” he said. “There is no prima facie case and it will not stand in the court despite any number of raids and inquiries.” Chidambaram, too, in an interview with THE WEEK November last, said these were baseless allegations. “There is no charge sheet. There are no charges. I am the real target. In order to silence my voice and my writing, the government is misusing the agencies to harass my son,” he said.