(File picture of Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra)
New Delhi:
In Parliament today, the BJP challenged the government to explain the controversial land deals that involve Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law, Robert Vadra.
Leading the charge, top BJP leader Yashwant Sinha described Mr Vadra, 44, as "a highly-connected person who has learnt the art of making hundreds of crores without going to any business school or making any investment." He said the Supreme Court should monitor an investigation into Mr Vadra's land deals in Haryana, where the Congress has been in power since 2005.
The controversy spilled over to a meeting attended by leaders of different parties in the afternoon where the Congress said it would not allow a discussion on Mr Vadra.
"There is no question of having a discussion on a private individual in the House," Union Minister Manish Tewari later told NDTV, dismissing the BJP's suggestion that the Finance Minister handle questions on Mr Vadra's alleged deals.
The allegations against Mr Vadra rest largely on the findings of an IAS officer named Ashok Khemka, who says the Haryana government pulled out all the stops to allow Mr Vadra windfall gains on "sham deals." Mr Khemka, in October 2012, was transferred when he first made this allegation. He elaborated on his investigation in a report submitted to the Haryana government in May, in which he said that forged documents and a fictitious cheque were among the malpractices of a 3.5-acre plot that Mr Vadra sold to real estate major DLF in 2012 for 58 crores.
With the BJP determined to exploit the scandal, the Congress's top managers and leaders sought the support of allies like Mayawati to help block the discussion. "The congress must answer questions about Mr Vadra," said the UP powerhouse, but she carefully added, "It's incorrect to hold Sonia Gandhi responsible even if Robert Vadra has done something wrong."
Leading the charge, top BJP leader Yashwant Sinha described Mr Vadra, 44, as "a highly-connected person who has learnt the art of making hundreds of crores without going to any business school or making any investment." He said the Supreme Court should monitor an investigation into Mr Vadra's land deals in Haryana, where the Congress has been in power since 2005.
The controversy spilled over to a meeting attended by leaders of different parties in the afternoon where the Congress said it would not allow a discussion on Mr Vadra.
"There is no question of having a discussion on a private individual in the House," Union Minister Manish Tewari later told NDTV, dismissing the BJP's suggestion that the Finance Minister handle questions on Mr Vadra's alleged deals.
The allegations against Mr Vadra rest largely on the findings of an IAS officer named Ashok Khemka, who says the Haryana government pulled out all the stops to allow Mr Vadra windfall gains on "sham deals." Mr Khemka, in October 2012, was transferred when he first made this allegation. He elaborated on his investigation in a report submitted to the Haryana government in May, in which he said that forged documents and a fictitious cheque were among the malpractices of a 3.5-acre plot that Mr Vadra sold to real estate major DLF in 2012 for 58 crores.
With the BJP determined to exploit the scandal, the Congress's top managers and leaders sought the support of allies like Mayawati to help block the discussion. "The congress must answer questions about Mr Vadra," said the UP powerhouse, but she carefully added, "It's incorrect to hold Sonia Gandhi responsible even if Robert Vadra has done something wrong."
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