In a first press conference after his release from the Tihar jail, former finance minister P. Chidambaram on Thursday ripped into the government on the state of the economy and said the problem lies in the government's assumption that problems faced by the economy are cyclical."Prime Minister has been unusually silent on the economy. He has left it to his ministers to indulge in bluff and bluster. The net result, as the Economist put it, is that the government has turned out to be an ‘in competent manager’ of the economy.""The government is making mistakes. It is wrong. Let me repeat, the government is wrong and they are wrong because they are clueless," he said.

Chidambaram said, "We will be lucky to end the year if growth touches 5%. Please remember Dr Arvind Subramanian’s caution that 5%under this government, because of suspect methodology, is not really 5% but less by about 1.5%."He further said that his record as Minister and my conscience are absolutely clear as officers who have worked with him, businesspersons who have interacted with him and journalists who have observed him know that very well.

"Concerned" about the political leaders who have been detained without charges, Chidambaram said freedom is indivisible and ifwe must preserve our freedom, "we must fight for their freedom."Congressleader P Chidambaram, who has been released from Tihar Jail on bail after 106 days in custody in the INX Media money-laundering case, was present in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday. Chidambaram, who walked out of jail on Wednesday night, joined other Congress MPs voicing their protest against the steep hikein onion prices and said he was happy to be back.

"The government cannot suppress my voice in Parliament," the Rajya Sabha MP told reporters in Parliament complex before the proceedings of the Upper House.

The Supreme Court granted him bail in the INX Media case,saying the claims by the Enforcement Directorate that he could tamper wit hevidence cannot be accepted on face value as he was neither in political power nor holds any post in the government.

The apex court has restrained the 74-year-old leader from either giving media interviews or any public comment in connection with the case regarding him or other co-accused.