Targeted for being part of Gandhi family, will soon join politics: Robert Vadra
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New Delhi (PTI): Robert Vadra, businessman and brother-in-law of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, on Wednesday claimed he is being targeted by probe agencies as he is part of the Gandhi family and that things would have been different had he been part of the BJP.
Vadra, whose wife Priyanka Gandhi made her electoral debut last year, said he is almost an activist now and will soon join politics as he has been working with people since 1999.
The businessman, who was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for the second straight day on Wednesday in a 2008 Haryana land deal-linked money laundering case, said he is being asked the same questions.
He said all this is being done even after the Haryana government has given him a clean chit in the case.
The 56-year-old Vadra reached the ED office around 11 am accompanied by his wife and Congress MP from Wayanad Priyanka Gandhi. He was allowed to go home for lunch around 1:10 pm. The questioning is expected to continue after the lunch break.
"I am part of the Gandhi family, who always fights for the people. Obviously, the BJP has to go for (target) the Gandhi family and me. They have also charge-sheeted my family -- my mother-in-law Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
"The more you trouble us, the stronger we become... We will fight anything that comes our way," Vadra told PTI.
He said he and his family are one unit and such instances only strengthen his relationship with his wife.
It is very unfortunate that probe agencies are being "misused" by the government, he said.
"I feel that people don't believe in the agencies anymore because everyone in the country has realised that the ED and other agencies are being misused to put pressure on those who expose the government's wrongdoings. The government is trying to create a divide between Hindus and Muslims. All of this is done to distract from the real issues," he charged.
Vadra said he has become the voice of the people and will continue to fight.
"They can see I have become the voice of the people. I am almost like an activist now. This happened because I responded to the government and continue to fight back against the constant false accusations made against me. The people are with me, I serve them. People would like to see me in politics," he said.
Vadra said he has been campaigning and working for people since 1999.
"If I was to be in politics, I want to make a change. Yes, there will be a time when I will definitely be in politics. And I know that the truth will prevail," he asserted.
"Everybody who is hopeful of becoming a chief minister or wants to join politics is always troubled by agencies unless you join the BJP... No BJP leader or minister will be summoned by the agencies," he claimed.
Vadra said the BJP's Haryana government has given him a clean chit in the case as "no wrongdoing has happened".
"I don't understand what this is about and asking me the same kind of questions. I have answered all these questions in 2019. The case pertains to 2008 and why this delay of 17 years," he said.
The probe against Vadra is linked to a land deal in Haryana's Manesar-Shikohpur (now Sector 83) in Gurugram.
As part of the February 2008 land deal, Skylight Hospitality Pvt Ltd, where Vadra was a director earlier, purchased 3.5 acres of land in Shikohpur from Onkareshwar Properties for Rs 7.5 crore.
A Congress government led by chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda was in power in Haryana at that time.
In September 2012, Skylight Hospitality Pvt Ltd sold this 3.53 acres of land to realty major DLF for Rs 58 crore.
The land deal ran into controversy in October 2012 after IAS officer Ashok Khemka, then posted as the director general of land consolidation and land records-cum-inspector general of registration of Haryana, cancelled the mutation, categorising the transaction as violative of state consolidation Act and some related procedures.
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CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
