‘Private citizen’ Vadra under Khattar scanner

The Haryana government has taken cognisance of news reports citing indictment of Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra’s land deals under the previous government headed by Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

Newly sworn-in Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Sunday told reporters that the law will be allowed to take its own course on such deals in the state involving Robert Vadra’s company. ‘Law will take its own course,’ Khattar said when asked by reporters in Chandigarh to comment on land deals involving the son-in-law of Sonia Gandhi.

Vadra’s name, according to reports, has cropped up in the comptroller and auditor general (CAG)’s report which has faulted his land deals in Haryana, saying he made a profit of Rs 44 crore because the former Congress government allowed him to do so in breach of law, and did not insist on recovering Rs 41.51 crore of the profit he made by quickly selling the land to DLF Universal.

The news report states that in CAG’s first draft report on land deals in Haryana, Vadra’s Skylight Hospitality Private Limited was allowed to develop a commercial colony when it had just Rs 1 lakh in its kitty. ‘The department (of town and country planning) ignored the aspect of the financial capacity of the coloniser,’ said the report. The land was soon sold to DLF Universal for Rs 58 crore, with Skylight Hospitality making a neat profit of Rs 43.66 crore, it mentioned.

Incidentally, Vadra was also involved on Saturday night in a controversy when a news agency reporter approached him to get his version on the news reports. Launching a scathing attack on Vadra for angrily pushing away the microphone of a reporter in the Capital on Saturday, when asked about his land deals in Haryana, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday said it reflected sheer frustration on his part. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said Vadra must realise that India is no more a ‘banana republic’ which was ruled by the first family of Congress.

Another Bharatiya Janata Party leader Subramanian Swamy has demanded withdrawal of SPG cover for Vadra. ‘He is a thug, he doesn’t need protection, and society needs to be protected from him. There is no law that says that the press will ask questions according to his liking. In fact, his SPG should also be withdrawn,’ said Swamy.

Defending Vadra on the issue, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, ‘There is a guarantee to the right of privacy, the right of personal space and liberty to all individuals, more so when the individual in question is like that of Robert Vadra, who is neither in public life nor holds any political or public office. Unpleasantness of repeatedly asking questions at private functions must be avoided at all times.’

Security outside Robert Vadra’s residence has been increased. The police has also set up barricades outside his residence.