New Delhi: Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday described the questioning of Robert Vadra, the brother-in-law of Congress president Rahul Gandhi, by Enforcement Directorate as the “measure of success of the Indian democracy.”
“…It is the success of the will of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, when a gentleman hailing from a well-known family had to submit before the law,” Prasad said when asked about questioning of Vadra by the ED. The minister was briefing the media about the Cabinet decisions taken on Wednesday. “It is a measure of success of Indian democracy,” Prasad said.
Hitting out at Vadra, the BJP alleged that he got “kickbacks” from petroleum and defence deals during the UPA dispensation. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra alleged that Vadra “bought eight to nine properties in London” from the money he got as kickbacks in 2008-09 when the UPA was in power and said he would like to ask Vadra “the formula of becoming crorepati from roadpati.” Alleging that “corruption” has been the “core agenda” of the Congress party, Patra said, “Everybody knows every member of the family is out on bail.”
Vadra was questioned by Enforcement Directorate here for five-and-a-half hours in its money laundering probe into alleged possession of illegal foreign assets, days after he was directed by a city court to appear before the central probe agency. Vadra’s wife Priyanka Gandhi accompanied him in a white Toyota Land Cruiser and dropped him outside the ED’s office in Jamnagar House, in a move seen as sending a political message to Congress’ opponents ahead of Lok Sabha polls.
This is the first time Vadra is appearing before any probe agency in connection with alleged criminal charges of dubious financial dealings. Vadra has denied these allegations in the past and termed them a political witch hunt against him. Rahul Gandhi’s sister Priyanka is married to Vadra and was recently appointed party general secretary in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh.