New Delhi: The raids conducted by investigative agencies on Opposition leaders drew sharp political reactions across partylines. On Tuesday, the CBI raided the premises of Karti Chidambaram, son of former finance minister P. Chidambaram, while Income-Tax sleuths searched 22 locations in Delhi and adjoining areas in connection to benami deals related to former Bihar chief minister and RJD strongman Lalu Prasad Yadav.

Immediately after the searches began, Mr Chidambaram released a statement saying “the government, using the CBI and other agencies, is targeting my son and his friends. The government’s aim is to silence my voice and stop me from writing. All I can say is that I shall continue to speak and write.” Defending Mr Chidambaram, party  communications chief Randeep Surjewala said, “We want to reiterate that neither P. Chidambaram, nor any Congress leader or any other Leader of Opposition, would be deterred or cowed down from fear of the politics of revenge and vendetta.”

Mr Surjewala defended Mr Lalu Yadav and accused the BJP of revenge and vendetta.

Union minister Piyush Goyal rejected Mr Chidambaram’s charge that he was being targeted for his columns that were critical of the government and claimed that the issue was the reason why beneficiaries of Foreign Investm-ent Promotion Board (FIPB) gave “money to the firms owned by his son”.

West Bengal chief minister Mamta Banerjee also came to the defence of Mr Chidambaram, attacking the government she said, “If you do not like someone, then you send the CBI, then put him in jail.”