New Delhi, September 23: Former Prime Minister and seasoned economist Dr Manmohan Singh on Monday attacked the ruling Narendra Modi government and central probing agencies over the way former Union Home Minister P Chidambaram is being 'falsely' accused in the Rs 305 crore INX Media scam. Dr Singh slammed the investigation agencies for handling the issue by keeping the senior leader in continued detention.

Expressing his dissatisfaction on his former colleague's detention, Dr Singh said, "We are concerned with the continued detention in custody of our colleague P Chidambaram. In our system of government, no decision can be taken by any single person. All decisions are collective decisions recorded in files." INX Media Case: Sonia Gandhi, Dr Manmohan Singh Visit P Chidambaram in Tihar Jail.

Stating the reason for his statements and calling Chidambaram innocent, the seasoned economist said, "A dozen officers examined and recommended the proposal. Minister Chidambaram approved the unanimous recommendation. If officers aren't at fault, it's beyond our comprehension how the Minister who simply approved the recommendation can be accused of committing an offence."

Adding on, Dr Singh said, "If the Minister is liable for approving a recommendation, the whole system of government will collapse. We are confident, and we sincerely hope, that the courts will render justice in this case."

Earlier in the day, Dr Singh -- along with Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi -- visited the Tihar Jail and met P Chidambaram, who is in judicial custody in connection with INX Media case. The former Union minister was arrested by the CBI on August 21 and is facing a probe by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for alleged irregularities in granting the clearance to INX Media.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 23, 2019 09:42 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).