Son-in-law of Congress President Sonia Gandhi, the controversial businessman said a distinction should be made between him as an individual conducting business like anyone else and the politics of the family of his wife Priyanka Gandhi Vadra “without constantly attempting to link the two”.
Alleging that there was a “sustained political attack” on him, 46-year-old Vadra claimed that BJP was using attacks on him as a “political tool whenever they need to divert public attention”.
He said he has always conducted business transparently in accordance with the law but he was being “singled out” and “lies” were spread which made it difficult for him at times to come to terms with the “way I have been portrayed”.
Vadra told a news agency that “perception about me seems to have become so deeply embedded that it seems as if the truth does not matter to anyone anymore”.
On the inquiry being undertaken against his business deals in Haryana and Rajasthan besides the Enforcement Directorate sending a notice to his company, he said, “There is a clear-cut political witch-hunt.... The more they hound me, the more apparent it is becoming that they are using their attacks on me as a political tool whenever they need to divert public attention.” On the probe in Haryana where the one-man Justice S N Dhingra Commission is looking into grant of land licences to some companies including that of Vadra’s in four villages of Gurgaon, Vadra said he had not received any notices so far but has read the media reports in this regard.
“I will deal with the notices from the inquiry and the ED as and when I receive them. Since these proceedings involve legal issues, I would not like to make any comment on them at this stage,” he said.
The BJP government in Haryana had in May set up the Dhingra Commission to probe alleged irregularities in grant of licences by the Department of Town and Country Planning to some companies, including that of Vadra, in Sector 83 of Gurgaon for developing commercial colonies during the previous Congress government of Bhupinder Singh Hooda.
The Dhingra Commission has been asked to probe subsequent transfer or disposal of the lands, allegations of private enrichment, ineligibility of beneficiaries under the rules, and other connected matters, bringing Vadra’s land deal under the scanner.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on November 17 said the Commission will soon submit its report. Vadra said he has the highest respect for the process of law and expressed confidence that “the truth will eventually prevail over any political witch-hunt”.
BJP calls Vadra’s claim as ‘farcical’
The BJP on Sunday described Robert Vadra’s assertion that he was being subjected to a political witch-hunt as “farcical” and said the party did not believe in politics of revenge, alleging that he used his connection with the Gandhi family to do business.
“He is complaining too much. He had used family connections, political authorities wielded by Gandhis as his political weapon. For him to complain now as he is being used as a political tool is farcical,” BJP spokesperson G V L Narsimha Rao said.
Alleging that Vadra’s only fame to business was the business he conducted through the politics and being the son-in-law of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Rao said that Vadra was also trying to gain sympathy by twisting the facts in the case.