BJP calls for court-monitored probe against Vadra

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday demanded an "impartial" court-monitored inquiry into the allegations against Congress President Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra over his property dealings with realty major DLF.

"We are demanding an impartial court-monitored inquiry into the allegations," BJP national spokesperson Prakash Javadekar told media persons in Kochi regarding the charges made by India Against Corruption leader Arvind Kejriwal.

"Whatever information is in public domain, it is clear undue benefits have been showered on Vadra. More and more information on extraordinary benefits being showered on Vadra are exposed and the quid pro quo is also in public domain," he claimed.

He said 'negativity' is the new word given to Congress dictionary by Vadra, referring to his remark that he can handle negativity in response to Kejriwal's allegations.

Taking a dig at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his remarks that mindless atmosphere of negativity and pessimism on corruption can damage India's image, he said it was corruption which was hurting the country's image.

"The image of India does not take a beating because of the exposure of corruption, but it is the corruption which is hurting the image of India and the primary culprit of this monumental corruption is the Congress party," he said, adding, the BJP condemns this approach of the government.

The UPA government is "neck deep" in corruption, he alleged. "They have indiscriminately looted the country and they do not want the corrupt to be punished. This is what brings disrepute to India," he said.

He said BJP was "worried" over the approach of prime minister over the issue.

"If this government has any qualms of dispensing justice, it should order an immediate probe into the allegations," he said.

Javedkar said the BJP will be launching a nation-wide protest against various scams and the recent decisions on FDI in insurance, pension, multi-brand retail, diesel price hike and capping of LPG subsidy cylinders, among others.

The party was very firm that FDI in multi-brand retail was an "anti-people" measure, he said.

Kerala and some others have opposed it, but no state can stop FDI entry since the Centre has signed the pre-investment conditions, bilateral investment treaty with 82 countries, he said.

Kerala government cannot stop Walmart and other multi-brand retail companies from entering the state, he said, and claimed that FDI will take away employment opportunities, affect small businesses and not benefit farmers.