BJP describes Robert Vadra's claim as 'farcical'

NEW DELHI: The BJP today 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.

Vadra, whose land deals are being probed in BJP-ruled Haryana and Rajasthan, today contended that he was being subjected to a "political witch-hunt" and used as a "political tool".

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 is trying to gain sympathy by twisting the facts in the case. Not all businessmen get involved in sham transactions. Without paying a penny nobody makes a windfall gain of Rs 45 to 50 crore in a single transaction by just selling of 3 acres of land and without investing a penny.

"Not every businessman gets involved in money laundering, shell companies and non existent land allotees. He is complaining too much. The problem is he has used his political connections and the influence wielded by the Gandhis in the governments of Haryana, Rajasthan and elsewhere and the facts speak for themselves," Rao said.

BJP's national spokesperson Sambit Patra alleged that even the CAG pointed out to the windfall gains which the Skylark hospitality companies have got.

"The whole world knows about the truth. If you are on the path of truth why are you worried? Even if an investigation by Justice S N Dhingra is going on and a committee has been formed, you should not be worried if you are on the path of justice.

"That ur worried and shouting at the top of your voice that this is vendetta politics only proves that there is something. Nobody is sending him to jail till the committee's report comes out and no one is saying we are going to go against the committee's report," he said.

Patra said that his party does not believe in politics of revenge.

"We have nothing called vendetta politics," 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.