Day after bail and 106 days in jail, Chidambaram says,'Govt cannot suppress my voice in Parl'

New Delhi, Dec 05: As a visibly relieved Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, who arrived in Parliament on Thursday after spending 106 days in Tihar jail, said the government will not be able to suppress his voice in the House.

Speaking to reporters in the Parliament complex while joining other Congress MPs protesting against the steep hike in onion prices, Chidambaram said he will address the media in the afternoon. "I am happy to be back. The government cannot suppress my voice in Parliament," he said.

As he walked out of the Tihar jail on Wednesday, Chidambaram received a rapturous welcome by scores of Congress supporters.

Chidambaram, 74, was released from the prison after being granted bail in a money laundering case linked to the INX Media. His son Karti was on hand to receive the Union minister. Dressed in his trademark long-sleeved white shirt and dhoti, Chidambaram, whose custody entered the 106th day on Wednesday with most of the time spent behind bars, was surrounded by a posse of newsmen and photographers.

"After 106 days of pretrial incarceration, not a single charge has been framed against me," he told reporters outside the prison where hundreds of Congress supporters and party leaders were present. They chanted slogans, 'Dekho dekho kaun aaya, sher aaya sher aaya (Look who has arrived...the tiger has arrived). Jail k tale toot gaye, chidambaram ji chhoot gaye' (The locks of prison have broken, Chidambaram ji is finally out).

A three-judge Supreme Court bench, headed by Justice R Banumathi, granted bail to the former Union finance minister, who has been in custody since August 21 when he was arrested by the CBI in the INX-Media corruption case. The Enforcement Directorate had arrested him on October 16 in the money laundering case.