BJP releases video, booklet to target Vadra

Amid Gandhi family's attacks on Narendra Modi over the Gujarat model, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday hit back by bringing out a video and a booklet on alleged land deals of Congress president Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law by terming it as 'Robert Vadra model of development'.

Alleging that the 'model' became successful due to the patronage provided by the Gandhi family to Robert Vadra, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "There was gross violation of laws relating to land and environment. The influence of the family helped make Vadra big earnings in the deals."

The six-page booklet titled 'Damad (son-in-law) Shree' refers to the alleged deals of Vadra in Rajasthan and Haryana.

The nearly 8-minute documentary seeks to show how Vadra was allegedly helped in his business deals by the Gandhi family using their clout.

Prasad said BJP was not targeting an individual but the issue of corruption.

"Someone talks about a big heart. Whose big heart helped Robert Vadra to establish his empire in such a short span with an initial investment of Rs 1 lakh," he questioned.

He was referring to Priyanka Gandhi's dig at Modi that a 56-inch chest was not needed to run the country but a "big heart" and "moral strength".

Prasad said except Priyanka, Congress has made no serious attempt to defend Vadra.

Alleging that the land deals involving Vadra were a "textbook case of corruption and crony capitalism under state patronage", he said BJP wants to know from Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party vice president Rahul Gandhi as to under whose patronage Vadra was allowed to carry out the deals in Haryana and Rajasthan "violating various environmental and land laws".

Prasad asked whether the companies owned by Vadra paid short term capital gain tax and as to why a thematic audit in Haryana, to be undertaken by the CAG, was dropped.

"We want to know whether it was dropped following a lot of inconsistencies found in land use," he said.

In an apparent attack on Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, he said, "The Aravallis have been opened up for commercial use. Is there a Haryana model of development along side the Vadra model of development?"

He also alleged that Hooda and former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot extended favours to Vadra to "protect" their chairs.

Asked as to why the present BJP government in Rajasthan was not taking action against Vadra, Prasad said BJP MPs from the state have flagged the issue and various district administrations are gathering facts.

"There will be no vendetta. The law will take its own course," he said.

Prasad claimed that bureaucrats who helped Vadra in his deals were rewarded with plush postings.

"Someone who was an additional secretary in Haryana was made member of UPSC while secretaries to the government of India are sent to UPSC...," he said.