On Friday, Mukherjee’s ministry, through an affidavit filed in response to a public interest litigation (PIL)  unconnected with the 2G scam, put Chidambaram in a spot once again. The PIL, filed earlier this month by a group of retired high-ranked government functionaries — including former CBI Joint Director BR Lall, former Chief of Air Staff S Krishnaswamy, and former Punjab Police chief Julio Ribeiro, questioned the appointment of Sebi chief UK Sinha, and especially the creation of a selection panel that gave too much power to the finance ministry, and possibly done under the influence of corporate interests.