New Delhi, Sept. 23: A section of the Congress has seized the chance to target P. Chidambaram in the 2G controversy in spite of Sonia Gandhi’s instructions to defend him.

A newspaper article by Digvijay Singh today signalled the growing resentment against the home minister, who is perceived to have caused damage to the party by mishandling the Anna Hazare fast.

The Congress general secretary, whose relations with Chidambaram have long been strained, touched on inadequate intelligence-gathering and lack of police reform in the article before raising the question: “I don’t understand who is responsible for internal security in our country — Union home minister or national security adviser?”

The timing of Digvijay’s write-up is being debated in Congress circles since he has attacked the minister earlier too.

Most Congress leaders talk of, and even joke about, the “rivalry” between Pranab Mukherjee and Chidambaram in private conversation. Some refuse to believe the Prime Minister is backing Chidambaram in spite of “prime ministerial ambitions” being attributed to him.

A Congress MP said on condition of anonymity: “Chidambaram has angered a lot of people in the past and his continuance in the home ministry has been seriously debated before the cabinet reshuffle. He survived then, but the Anna Hazare campaign has blotted his good record.”

An AICC functionary added: “A number of influential leaders are working to push him out of the home ministry. This includes top government functionaries.”

No leader has spoken out against Chidambaram yet, but his political isolation is palpable in the light of a campaign reportedly under way within the party by senior ministers, including Salman Khurshid, Ambika Soni and Veerappa Moily.

Party sources say Chidambaram has never cared to build relations with colleagues and has relied on his intellectual prowess to climb the ladder. But this becomes a handicap in times of crisis, when conspiracies and intrigues override healthy politics.

Telecom minister Kapil Sibal, who is close to Chidambaram and knows the 2G intricacies, is now out of the country. But he told a TV channel: “Whatever Chidambaram did as finance minister is legitimate…. He should not be questioned in any way for his role in 2G spectrum allocation.”

The Congress also defended him from the official forum for the second day. Spokesperson Manish Tewari said the demand for his scalp was unjustified as the Supreme Court, the public accounts committee and the joint parliamentary committee were studying the 2G case.

Tewari also denied any rift in the government: “You are searching for ghosts where none exists,” he said.

Chidambaram has chosen to keep silent till the Prime Minister returns from New York, though he is capable of defending himself.