Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram on his arrival in Chennai from Delhi on Wednesday refused to take the official vehicle and instead preferred his private car to proceed to the city from the airport.

Chidambaram told the state's Liaison Officer that he would continue with his 20-year-old practice of travelling by his own vehicle, sources in the airport said.

The Tamil Nadu government's protocol department need not send an official vehicle to cater to his need whenever he visits the city, Chidambaram told the concerned official.