Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has said that a "powerful" Congress leader had recently "requested" him to allot the Lodhi Estate government accommodation to another Congress MP so that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who has been asked to evict the residence by August 1, can stay on.
Hardeep Puri's remarks came as Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra took to micro-blogging site Twitter to deny certain media reports suggesting she had sought an extension of stay at her 35, Lodhi Estate bungalow despite an eviction notice.
In a tweet, Priyanka Gandhi said, "This is FAKE NEWS. I have not made any such request to the government." As per the eviction letter handed to me on the 1st of July, I will be vacating the government accommodation at 35 Lodhi Estate by the 1st of August."
But the Centre was quick to dismiss these assertions. Reacting to Priyanka Gandhi's tweet and putting out details of the "request", Hardeep Puri said a "powerful" Congress leader did call him. He, however, did not reveal who from the Congress had made the call.
"Facts speak for themselves! A powerful Congress leader with much clout in the Party called me on 4 July 2020 at 12:05 pm to request that 35, Lodhi Estate be allotted to another INC MP so that Priyanka Vadra can stay on," he said, adding, "Let's not sensationalize everything please."
Facts speak for themselves!
— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) July 14, 2020
A powerful Congress leader with much clout in the Party called me on 4 July 2020 at 12:05 pm to request that 35, Lodhi Estate be allotted to another INC MP so that Priyanka Vadra can stay on.
Let’s not sensationalise everything please. https://t.co/n1RQr6SGm6
Now Priyanka Gandhi has responded to the Union minister. Asserting that she made no such request to the government, Priyanka Gandhi said she would be vacating the bungalow by August 1 as required in the eviction letter.
"If someone called you Mr Puri, I thank them for their concern, and thank you for your consideration as well but it still does not change the facts: I have made no such request, and I am making no such request. As I said, I will be vacating the house by the 1st of August as required in the eviction letter," she said.
If someone called you Mr Puri, I thank them for their concern, and thank you for your consideration as well but it still does not change the facts: I have made no such request, and I am making no such request. As I said, I will be vacating the house by the 1st of August..1/2 https://t.co/jeHSZAf4MR
— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) July 14, 2020
With much suspense over who it was from within the Congress who'd purportedly called the Union Housing Minister to seek concessions for Priyanka Gandhi, without her knowledge seemingly, Hardeep Puri himself dropped a hint.
Hardeep Puri tweeted, "The leader who called me, & many others, is at the very top of the Congress hierarchy...the same political advisor who speaks and acts on your family's behalf. It was when he requested that we decided to give a two-month extension in good faith."
The minister added, "Would only request you to first sort out these issues within your own party before venting in public. A streak of entitlement & playing victim don't go well together."
Meanwhile, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala hit back at Hardeep Puri and said he should not sensationalise his "lies".
"Dear Mr. Puri, Priyankaji fights for the cause of people and need no favours from your ilk. So stop bragging unwarrantedly. The issue is closed. And so that all know, did you allot 35, Lodhi Estate to a Congress MP or BJP Spokesperson? So pl stop sensationaling ur lies."
The government had on July 1 issued an eviction notice to the Congress leader, asking her to vacate the 35, Lodhi Estate bungalow before August 1. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development had last week served a notice on her to vacate the said premises before August 1 as she no longer comes under SPG security cover.