BJP hits back at Sonia over Vadra's defence, Shahenshah remark

Hitting back at Sonia Gandhi for her defence of son-in-law Robert Vadra, BJP today said it has exposed the “farce” that he was merely a private citizen and took a dig at her over her ‘Shahenshah’ jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying people had sent the emperors packing in the 2014 polls.

It also mocked the Congress chief’s dare to the government to order a probe into the accusations against Vadra, saying the opposition party has dubbed such enquiries as vendetta earlier.

“The Congress chief’s comments have exposed this farce that Vadra is merely a private citizen. It has established that he is the Gandhi family and the Gandhi family is him.  When we do probe, then Congress quickly dismisses it as vendetta. BJP wonders why she is so rattled over some questions being asked about Vadra over some media reports.

“Those who behaved and ruled like ‘Shahenshah’ were sent packing by voters in 2014. Those emperors are now on bail in the National Herald case involving corruption of over Rs 5000 crore. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that he is ‘Pradhan Sewak’ and he has been serving people,” its national secretary Shrikant Sharma said.

Sonia Gandhi had assailed the Modi government over charges against Vadra, calling it a part of a conspiracy of levelling “false allegations” in its bid for a “Congress-free” India.  She had also dared the government to order an impartial probe and attacked it over the celebrations of two years in office, describing Modi as “Shahenshah”.

On a visit to her Parliamentary constituency, Gandhi was asked by newsmen on reports citing a probe by Income Tax department into transactions of an arms dealer and his links with Vadra, especially with regard to ownership of a house in central London.

“This is a conspiracy for Congress-free country. What is the meaning of Congress-free India. Everyday they make new excuses. They level false charges. If there is something, then there should be an impartial probe. Everything will become clear,” she said.

News reports today quoted from purported papers seized by the IT department during searches last month on the arms dealer’s premises that allegedly led to a trail of emails between Vadra and his assistant on the one hand and the dealer’s aide on the other regarding the purchase of a London house for approximately Rs 19 crore in 2009 which was subsequently said to have been sold.

Vadra’s legal firm has denied that he owned the London property directly or indirectly. It also denied that Vadra had any business ties with the arms dealer or his aide.

The party of emperors, he said in a swipe at Congress, now ruled merely over 5 per cent of the country’s population.

While Congress has launched a “disinformation” campaign against the Modi government, it has launched its campaign based on “facts”, he said.

The government has zero tolerance against corruption, he said, asking Gandhi to not issue “threats”.

“I have never seen anything like this. A Prime Minister is there, not an emperor. He is the country’s Prime Minister.  There is so much poverty in the country. There is drought.

Farmers are in trouble. I do not find it appropriate (that government) shows off like this,” Gandhi had said.