Intensifying its counter-attack on Congress over the Rafale deal, the BJP said on Tuesday that Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s brother-in-law Robert Vadra will be sent to jail for helping his defence dealer friend Sanjay Bhandari bag contracts during the UPA rule.
Speaking at a press conference, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra gave details of the alleged bribe, including a flat in London, given to Mr. Vadra by Mr. Bhandari. He gave the address of the London flat, details of the Mr. Bhandari’s bank account through which money was allegedly paid to Mr. Vadra and his first class flight tickets bought by the dealer’s travel firm. Mr. Patra said all the transactions happened when the Congress-led UPA was in power.
“Vadra will certainly go to jail for allegedly helping a defence dealer in bagging contracts during the UPA’s rule,” Mr Patra. The Modi government, he said, would act as per the law and not with a “mindset of revenge.”
Mr. Vadra has been denying these allegations and has accused the Modi government of political vendetta. Mr. Patra reiterated the BJP’s charge that the UPA government had scrapped its deal with Dassault Aviation which manufactured Rafale fighter aircraft because the French firm declined to choose the dealer’s firm backed by Mr. Vadra as its offset partner. The Gandhi family harmed the Indian Air Force to protect Mr. Vadra’s interests, he said.