Congress and BJP spar over Robert Vadra-microphone incident

NEW DELHI: Sonia Gandhi’s son-inlaw Robert Vadra losing his cool and pushing aside the microphone of a TV news reporter led to BJP attacks on the Congress for this “inappropriate” behaviour while the opposition party sprang to his defence, wondering why a “private person” is being hounded by the media.

A slanging match ensued between BJP and the Congress on the issue as the former described Vadra’s action at a five star hotel on Saturday as one that shows his “sheer frustration”. Making matters worse for Vadra, media reports on Sunday cited a CAG report to say that the erstwhile Bhupinder Singh Hooda government in Haryana had helped Gandhi’s son-in-law make windfall gains of Rs 44 Crore in a land deal in the state.

“It was the sheer frustration of Robert Vadra that became manifested as an inappropriate behaviour on a journalist. Vadra was the one who had called India a Banana Republic and we Indians as mango people but it is time that we make him realise that India is no more a Banana Republic which was ruled by the first family of the Congress,” BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said.

While most Congress leaders defended Vadra and said he should be left alone as he is a businessman and not a public figure, party spokesperson Sandeep Dikshit said what happened was not dignified and he should “express sentiments” to assuage the sentiments of the journalist.

However, he maintained that this issue is between a private individual and a journalist and the Congress is not involved.

Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh was more scathing on the media than on the BJP and felt there was much ado about a “minor incident”. “Why (is) a private Citizen being unnecessarily hounded?,” he tweeted. “If he has violated any law, prosecute him. If (he) has ill gotten wealth confiscate it, but this unnecessary media attention is not justified,” he posted in another tweet.

He further asked the media not to hound Vadra. “We politicians are feeling jealous of the media attention which Robert is getting. We are the real punching bags for you. Spare him!”

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said in a statement that allegations against Vadra have been “conclusively rejected” by the Election Commission and the High Courts as well as the Supreme Court.