Amritsar: If the BJP forms the next government, Robert Vadra, the son-in-law of Sonia Gandhi, will neither be spared if guilty, nor be made a victim of vendetta, said Arun Jaitley in an exclusive interview to NDTV. (Watch - The Punjabi Punch: Amritsar knockout battle)
Mr Jaitley, a top leader of the BJP, is contesting his first parliamentary election from Amritsar, where he is taking on Captain Amarinder Singh of the Congress, a former chief minister of the state. (Full Coverage: Elections)
"You have to let agencies do their work without political interference. You don't spare anybody, you are not vindictive on anybody. If he (Vadra) has done anything wrong, because there is substantial evidence, let the agencies objectively find out," Mr Jaitley said to NDTV.
Mr Vadra is married to Mrs Gandhi's daughter, Priyanka. He has been accused by the opposition, and especially by Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aadmi Party, of amassing a windfall fortune through sweetheart land deals allowed by the Congress government in Haryana. Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has denied those allegations, and said that Mr Vadra's deals were legitimate and fair. (Narendra Modi attacks Gandhi family over alleged land deals of Robert Vadra)
In October, the Supreme Court rejected any investigation into the land deals, saying that a person "can't be called a sinner merely because he is linked to a politician."
Mr Jaitley said, "Vadra is a symbol of misuse of power but a marginal issue of our campaign."
Last week, BJP leader Uma Bharti had declared that if the BJP-led coalition came to power, Mr Vadra will go to jail.
"Agencies will decide who goes to jail not politicians," Mr Jaitley said firmly.
At a recent rally in Gurgaon, where Mr Vadra struck some of his contentious property deals, the BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi dared the Congress to furnish an explanation. Rahul Gandhi, Mr Vadra's brother-in-law, who is leading the Congress campaign for the election, should explain how "a person without even a single paisa could earn Rs 50 crore in three months," Mr Modi said. ('Shehzada, what goes on in your house?' Modi targets Rahul over Vadra)
Mr Jaitley, a top leader of the BJP, is contesting his first parliamentary election from Amritsar, where he is taking on Captain Amarinder Singh of the Congress, a former chief minister of the state. (Full Coverage: Elections)
Mr Vadra is married to Mrs Gandhi's daughter, Priyanka. He has been accused by the opposition, and especially by Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aadmi Party, of amassing a windfall fortune through sweetheart land deals allowed by the Congress government in Haryana. Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has denied those allegations, and said that Mr Vadra's deals were legitimate and fair. (Narendra Modi attacks Gandhi family over alleged land deals of Robert Vadra)
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Mr Jaitley said, "Vadra is a symbol of misuse of power but a marginal issue of our campaign."
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"Agencies will decide who goes to jail not politicians," Mr Jaitley said firmly.
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