NEW DELHI: The BJP is going all out to ensure that the controversy over the alleged illegal land deal by Robert Vadra, son-in-law of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, in Haryana does not die down and corners the ruling Congress Government.
A day after the Election Commission (EC) gave a clean chit to the Bhupinder Singh Hooda Government saying that the land deal was not in violation of the model code of conduct, the BJP said the government had not presented all the facts to the election body.
The EC had cited the report submitted by the State Financial Commissioner saying that the transfer of land was still pending as clarification is still awaited from the department concerned. However, the BJP cited other documents to say that appropriate orders had been passed.
Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “I am constrained to observe that in view of the highly suspicious circumstances a very legitimate conclusion can be drawn that all the facts have not disclosed to the EC after the BJP made a complaint.”
The BJP said the state administration presented only certain facts to the EC on the Vadra land deal, which led to the panel saying it was not a violation. “The BJP would like to know that when the financial commissioner of Haryana furnished a report to the EC, why they were conspicuously silent about the order No 1684-86 on July 16 by the Gurgaon Deputy Commissioner,” the Law Minister said in a press conference.
Prasad alleged that Vadra’s company Skylite Hospitality, which bought the land at `7.5 crore, land sold it for `58 crore to real estate major DLF within a few months.
When questioned about the action taken by the BJP Government in Rajasthan, where the party had made similar deals by Vadra a poll issue, Prasad said an FIR had been registered, four officials were suspended, and investigations were on. He added that if the BJP came to power it would investigate and cancel all such deals.