P. Chidambaram

Many news items and data were contrary to the truth, he added.

"SC order is a rebuff to the unconstitutional and arrogant stance of the central government and the J&K administration on the restrictions imposed in J&K," the former Union minister said on Twitter.

Chidambaram said direct tax revenue collections were only 41.6 per cent of the budget estimates and the credit growth to industry was 3.4 per cent, while manufacturing output had shrunken by 3.8 per cent.

Addressing a press conference, he also said there is a world of difference between the National Population Register of 2010 and the NPR of 2020.

He also said that it was a shocking admission by the police that there is no evidence of their involvement.

The case pertains to alleged losses suffered by Air India due to the alleged multi-crore aviation scam and irregularities in fixing air slots for international airlines.

Chidambaram said that countrywide protests against the CAA should not be portrayed as an issue between the government and Muslims because "that is what government is also wanting".

Chidambaram said if the BJP's motives are bonafide, the government should unconditionally state that they support the NPR form and design of 2010 and do not intend to link it to the controversial NRC

All non-BJP parties must raise their sights and rally around the Congress to save the Constitution of India," he said on Twitter.

"Why should we give citizenship to people who are already citizens of Pakistan? What is the meaning of such challenges to the Opposition," he asked.

The Opposition has termed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill "unconstitutional", "divisive" and "an assault on the democratic and secular fabric of the nation"

The Shiv Sena abstained from voting on the contentious citizenship bill in Rajya Sabha as the government did not give satisfactory answers to queries raised by the party, its Upper House member Anil Desai said.

According to the proposed legislation, members of the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities, who came to India from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan by December 31, 2014 and faced religious persecution in those countries, will not be treated as illegal immigrants and given the Indian citizenship.

He alleged that BJP's objective was to "strangulate the voice of freedom" and the ruling party had been working towards it by targeting rivals by filing cases against them.

The former Union Minister, who arrived here for the first time after being in a Delhi prison for 106 days in the INX Media case, said he was very happy to breathe the air of freedom.

At a press conference here, he said the outcome of the ongoing assembly polls will be an important turning point with the saffron party on one side and secular and progressive parties on the other.

During a discussion on soaring onion prices, Sitharaman had said in the Lok Sabha that she doesn't eat much onion or garlic.

Union minister Prakash Javadekar told reporters that the claim of Chidambaram, who was released on bail on Wednesday after spending 106 days in jail, amounted to "self- certification".

PM Modi has been unusually silent on the economy and has left it to his ministers to indulge in bluff and bluster, said the former FM

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.