P. Chidambaram quotes:

When I came back to India after Harvard Business School, I started as a lawyer and as a trade union leader.

Two successive commissioners in London police were fired by the mayor that came into office. That doesn't mean the police in London is not independent and does not exercise powers. Ultimately it is the political executive that has to answer.

A government can do only what is feasible given the political and economic context.

It is possible that, post-Kyoto, the developed countries will recognise the requirements of the developing world.

If you go back to any period in India's history, all the hard decisions this country had to take were taken when the Congress was in power.

Criticism of a policy is welcome. But in the garb of criticizing a policy, if you allege that the policy was made for corrupt purposes, I reject it.

All wisdom does not reside in Delhi.

Today, to allege corruption seems to be the pastime of most people. All kinds of allegations are leveled. I think it is self-defeating.

Big business' was a bad phrase in India. To be accused of being big business was the worst accusation you could make. All that has gone now. The whole mindset has changed.

Independence is a very subjective assessment.

Growth is a panacea for many ills in society; not entirely, but many.

Evidence points out that if you raise tariffs too much it will increase smuggling.

Let me tell you, very frankly, when I went to the Harvard Business School I was more or less a committed socialist.

I respect the view of a rating agency, but I do not make a budget for the rating agency. I make a budget for the people of India.

We cannot afford to leave the poor behind.

Police can only act on intelligence.

In income tax, there is no case for amnesty.

The police force cannot be completely independent of the executive government.

Congress is not a party which fades when not in power

I don't think we should label budgets even before the budget is presented.

People understand what is good for them in the long run. In the long run, what is good for people is that India's economy continues to grow at clipping pace, 8% and above, that itself brings host of benefits to the people. It brings better roads, it brings better schools, brings more money to the communities, it brings more jobs.

I think people respect governments that take decisions and act decisively.

The voter does not vote only on one issue, the voter votes on a multiplicity of issues.

I have maintained that the people of India are ahead of their governments. The people of India are at least 10 to 15 years ahead of their governments.

Today, to allege corruption seems to be the pastime of most people. All kinds of allegations are leveled. I think it is self-defeating."

I know my limitations. I live and work according to my limitations. And my party only two weeks ago has clearly declared that the leader of the party after Ms Sonia Gandhi will be Mr Rahul Gandhi. And all of us, including me, have expressed our solid support to Mr Rahul Gandhi.

People are wiser than we are willing to attribute to them.

What we will become depends on us