Sitharaman to be I-T department lawyer, taunts Chidambaram

New Delhi, May 13 (IANS) Hitting back at Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman after her "Nawaz Sharif moment" comment, former Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram taunted that "buzz in Delhi" was that Sitharaman was soon going to be appointed a lawyer for the Income Tax department.

"The buzz in Delhi is that Nirmala Sitharaman will be removed as Defence Minister and appointed as lawyer of the Income Tax Department. Welcome to the bar, Sitharaman," tweeted Chidmabaram, a senior lawyer himself.

He also took a jibe at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah, saying the President of "the richest political party in India" was "dreaming of billions of dollars".

"Bring the money back (from foreign undeclared bank accounts) and put Rs 15 lakh in the account of every Indian as you promised," Chidambaram said.

Hours earlier, Sitharaman told the media that Chidmabaram and his family were under the I-T Department scanner for not declaring their assets and incomes in foreign countries and added that it was the "Nawaz Sharif moment" for the Congress party.

Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has been barred from holding public office for life by that country's Supreme Court for not disclosing assets held abroad. 

Sitharaman wondered if Congress President Rahul Gandhi would follow suit in Chidambaram's case.