Oppn corners Govt over Vadra scam

• BJP for SIT probe into Vadra deals
• Govt shields Vadra, says no probe against a private person
• Cong employs shouting brigade to silence Oppn
• SP, BSP spring to Sonia’s defence

Anita Saluja

New Delhi: The Congress-led UPA government on Tuesday was pilloried by the BJP-led Opposition on Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra land deals in Haryana. Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned twice during the day on the issue.

While the BJP demanded a debate on the issue and an inquiry, the Congress insisted that the issue of a “private individual” could not be discussed in the House. The issue of Robert Vadra was also discussed at the All-Party meeting, where it was decided that the BJP would not stall parliament on the issue by insisting on the debate as Food Security Bill had to be passed on priority-basis.

Both the Houses witnessed uproarious scenes, with the BJP raising slogans of “Congress ka haath, damaad ke saath' (Hand of the Congress is with the son-in-law). The Congress, on the other hand, gave it back, saying, “Congress ka haath, janata ke saath, garib ke saath' (Hand of Congress is with the people and the poor).”

Embarrassing the Congress, senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha in the Lok Sabha said that Robert Vadra had pioneered a new business model under which one can make huge profits without making any investment. Sinha was not allowed to speak, as the Congress MPs shouted in protest. Later, blaming the Congress for not allowing him to speak, he said, “There is a highly-connected person, who has learnt the art of making hundreds of crores without going to any business school or making any investment."

Sinha demanded that the UPA government set up a Special Investigating Team (SIT) to inquire into the land deals of Vadra. However, Information & Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari ruled out any discussion on Robert Vadra land deals in parliament. He said, “It is unfortunate and inappropriate that the BJP is dragging a private individual into unnecessary controversy. An individual cannot be discussed in parliament. This is BJP's cheap politics," said Tewari, while reacting to BJP leaders.

An IAS officer Ashok Khemka had alleged that Bhupinder Singh Hooda government in Haryana benefited Vadra financially by allowing him to enter into a number of fake land deals.

In his report after being transferred for the allegations, he said that forged documents and a fictitious cheque were among the malpractices of a 3.5-acre plot that Vadra sold to real estate major DLF in 2012 for Rs 58 crore. The BSP and the SP, however, supported the Congress, saying that Sonia Gandhi could not be blamed for the land deals of her son-in-law. They said that they were against dragging the name of the Congress president over the issue.