The Congress on Saturday ruled out a probe into allegations that Robert Vadra was favoured by realty major DLF Ltd.
“An inquiry into what? Is a business transaction between two private entities duly reported to the statutory authorities illegal? Is it a crime?” party spokesman Manish Tewari asked reporters here, while terming Arvind Kejriwal and Prashant Bhushan as the ‘B’ team of the BJP.
On Friday, former Team Anna members Kejriwal and Bhushan had alleged that Vadra, son-in-law of Congress President Sonia Gandhi, had bought property worth crores of rupees with an “unsecured interest free loan” of Rs 65 crore given by the Delhi-based realty firm .
Most of the real estate, they said, was bought at much below market rates in the Congress-ruled States of Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi
Anna Speaks
Meanwhile, anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare asked the Congress why it was afraid of a judicial probe into the allegations if the party was sure that the charges were false.
“If the charges are false, they can sue Arvind for defamation. The truth will be out,” Hazare said in Ralegan Siddhi. Hazare’s backing for Kejriwal comes close on the heels of both parting ways after the latter decided to float a political party.
In Delhi, Kejriwal too said he was ready to face defamation charges if corruption charges against Vadra were proved wrong.
Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Lalu Prasad was the sole UPA ally who came out in defence of Vadra and slammed Kejriwal. “Such allegations keep happening…” he said.
The Opposition BJP, however, kept up the pressure for a probe into Kejriwal’s allegations. Party spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said in Jaipur: “It is the expectation of people of the country that the matter should be investigated. It should also be probed what benefits Congress’s State Governments in Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi gave to Vadra.”
He said if the Rs 65 crore “were a charity, then why did DLF choose a person who is linked with Gandhi family.”
Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy said the Prime Minister, who had a clean image, should order a probe into the allegations against Vadra. The Left parties, by and large, chose to remain quiet on the issue.