New Delhi, May 16 (IANS): Former Union Minister P. Chidambaram on Tuesday said he and his son Karti were being targeted to muzzle his voice.

This was after searches were conducted at several places in connection with an alleged criminal misconduct in approving foreign direct investment (FDI) for a private firm during the previous Congress-led UPA government.

The former Finance Minister in a statement denied any misconduct in the grant of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approval to INX Media.

"FIPB approval is granted in hundreds of cases. The five secretaries, who constitute the FIPB, other officials of the FIPB and competent authorities in each case are public officials. There is no allegation against any of them. There is no allegation against me," the former Home Minister and senior Congress leader said.

He said when he was the Finance Minister every case was processed "according to the law and approval was granted or refused in accordance with the recommendations of the FIPB, consisting of five secretaries to the government of India".

Chidamabaram said the BJP-led NDA government was using the CBI and other agencies to target "my son and his friends".

"The government's aim is to silence my voice and stop me from writing as it has tried to do in the case of leaders of opposition parties, journalists, columnists, NGOs and civil society organisation. All I will say is, I shall continue to speak and write."