Govt of using CBI, ED as personal revenge-seeking departments: Congress

New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday came down heavily on the BJP government over the arrest of P Chidambaram, accusing it of using the CBI and the ED as "personal revenge-seeking departments".

Senior Congress leader and former finance minister Chidambaram was arrested Wednesday night amid high drama by the CBI and he spent the night at a agency guest house.

"Over the last two days India witnessed the broad daylight murder of democracy as also the rule of law," said Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala. He further said that while many accused in the INX Media case have not been arrested, a senior politician has been arrested without any legal basis. "Government using CBI, ED as personal revenge-seeking departments for the party in power as also those ruling country," Surjewala charged.

"A seasoned politician was arrested on the statement of a woman charged with murder of her own daughter", said Surjewala referring to Indrani Mukherjea. He further alleged that "false charges" were being heaped on senior political rivals to "silence" everyone in country.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala called it a "witch-hunt" and "abuse" by the government and agencies allegedly acting on its behest. "The shameless witch-hunt & unheard of abuse of CBI/ED by Modi Govt 2.0 is playing on every TV screen in India. It's a sham and shame that democracy stands dead in the hands of the BJP," tweeted Surjewala on Wednesday.