BJP raises charges against Vadra to target Congress ahead of Haryana polls

The BJP on Friday dredged up the alleged corruption involving Rahul Gandhi’s brother-in-law Robert Vadra when the Congress was in power in Haryana by firing a fresh salvo against the opposition party ahead of the assembly polls in the state.

BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia claimed the election in the state is a fight between “Haryana ka laal” (son of Haryana) and “dalaal” (fixer) of the Gandhi family, as it questioned the Congress leadership’s silence on the corruption charges against Vadra and the party’s then government headed by Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

He said people of the state have made up their mind to elect the BJP to power for a third straight term, asserting that the central government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the state government headed by Nayab Singh Saini have worked for farmers’ welfare.

While Gandhi has been speaking about farmers’ issues, he has not said a word about his “land-grabbing” brother-in-law, Bhatia told a press conference.

Hooda is just a mask and the real face of corruption is the Gandhi family, he alleged, citing questionable land deals involving Vadra.

In one case, he noted, Vadra’s company allegedly acquired 3.5 acres of land of farmers and the then Hooda government changed the land use, allowing him to pocket a huge profit by selling the parcel at four times the purchase price.

In another case, farmers resorted to distress selling of their land after the Congress government in the state issued a notification to acquire their land and then denotified after a builder linked to Vadra bought their land, he alleged.

Vadra has constantly denied allegations of any wrong-doing and accused the BJP of targeting him due to political vendetta.

Modi during his campaign in Haryana recently had also revived the corruption charges involving him to slam the Congress and its leadership.

With the Congress seen to be putting up a strong challenge after registering an impressive performance in the Lok Sabha polls, Bhatia asked who will stop Vadra if the party comes to power again. Haryana had become a hotbed of corruption when it was in power between 2004 and 2014, he said.

The BJP spokesperson exuded confidence that his party will retain power.

Gandhi should respond to the charges against his brother-in-law, he said.

Bhatia claimed the Congress in Haryana is marred by infighting, adding that Kumar Selja, who comes from a Dalit community, had been treated shabbily by Hooda and party general secretary Randeep Surjewala