‘Suited-booted’ Vadra faces probe

The BJP on Wednesday responded to Rahul Gandhi’s activism, especially on the proposed Land Bill, by announcing a probe into his brother-in-law Robert Vadra’s controversial land deals in Haryana.

“The scams of Rahul Gandhi’s suited-booted (well-dressed) jijaji (brother-in-law) Robert Vadra will definitely be probed. But in what way the probe will be held will be decided by the (Haryana) Chief Minister,” State Minister Anil Vij tweeted.

The pointed reference to “suited-booted” brother-in-law was a clear indication of this being a political decision.

Rahul has been using the “suited-booted” reference to accuse the Centre of elitism and promoting anti-poor policies.

He has also been making caustic references to the monogrammed suit worn by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the visit of US President Barack Obama to Delhi in January.

Hence, an inquiry commission headed by a retired Supreme Court judge will probe the alleged irregularities in land deals during the 10-year Congress rule in Haryana.

“The inquiry commission will be headed by a retired Supreme Court judge and a notification in this regard will be issued soon,” Haryana Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma said in Chandigarh on Wednesday.

A notification to this effect will be issued on May 15, when the Haryana BJP will hold a meeting of its State executive in Kurukshetra.

A CAG report tabled in the Haryana Assembly in March had revealed that the State government, under Congress CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, had bent rules to favour real estate developers including DLF Universal Ltd, because of Vadra.

The report mentioned the casual way in which a commercial licence was granted to Vadra’s company Skylight Hospitality merely because Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law was a director in that particular firm.

“The possibility of extending undue benefit to particular applicants cannot be ruled out,” said the CAG report.

The CAG further said it had examined cases of firms which applied for commercial licences in Sector 83, Gurgaon and found that Vadra’s firm had not submitted documents on financial adequacy. Another probe by two senior officers of the Haryana government had also found that Vadra’s Skylight Hospitality owned land way beyond the prescribed limit in the State at a time when he got the licence for the controversial land in Shikhopur in Gurgaon.

Senior IAS officer Ashok Khemka, who was also present at Ram Bilas Sharma’s press conference in his capacity as Secretary & Director General, Archaeology & Museums Department, did not wish to comment when asked for his reaction to the BJP government’s decision to get the land deals of the previous government investigated.

Three years ago, Khemka, who was then posted in another department, had cancelled the mutation of the land deal involving real estate giant DLF and Vadra.

COMMENT NOW