Even though the BJP, which is on the verge of taking reins of power in Haryana, said the probe into Robert Vadra's land deals tops their agenda, the Congress has challenged it to examine the transactions, saying the party was yet to establish any wrongdoing in Rajashtan where it has been in power for over so many months. Now it is to be seen how soon the BJP will institute and conclude the inquiry against Congress president Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law, whose "illegal" land deals were foremost on its electoral agenda.
A senior BJP leader from Haryana Captain Abhimanyu told dna that ordering an inquiry into the Haryana land scam is on top of the new government agenda's in the state.
The BJP's election campaign in Haryana was pitched around Vadra's alleged illegal land deals in the state. Prime minister Narendra Modi took on the Congress highlighting Vadra's land deals during his election campaign in Hissar earlier this month.
The Congress president's son-in-law also found repeated mention in the BJP election campaign during the Lok Sabha election.
Days before the assembly election, the Haryana government led by Congress party legitimised the land deal between Vadra and DLF. Vadra through his company M/s Skylight Hospitality in 2012, sold three acres of land in Shikhopur village, Gurgaon to DLF. The then director general, consolidation, Ashok Khemka, had declared the deal as illegal and had asked for the cancellation of mutation. While Khemka was transferred out of the office, the Haryana government earlier this week legitimised the deal.
Now, with the BJP getting absolute majority in Haryana, it is all set to take on those involved in land scams. "We are committed to looking into every land scam that has taken place in Haryana in the last 10 years," said Captain Abhimanyu.
The BJP says it will allow the law to take its own course and will let the bureaucracy work independently. "As a political party the BJP will not get involved in the political vendatta against Vadra or anybody else. The law will take its own course and the guilty will be brought to book," said another senior BJP leader.
But the bureaucracy in Haryana is not very positive and feels that investigating a case like this will be opening a can of worms for the BJP. "There is a possibility that even some BJP leaders would have benefited from the land scam. Genuinely, investigating the cases will bring out new names, which probably the BJP will not be able to afford," said a senior bureaucrat based in Gurgaon.
Meanwhile, Randeep Singh Surjiwala, the outgoing minister in Haryana and Congress spokesperson, has challenged the government to go ahead with the probe against Robert Vadra. "The prime minister has become habitual in raising issues which have neither substance nor truth to gain brownie points. Same issue was raised in parliament elections and previously in Rajasthan assembly elections as well. BJP activists have filed three sets of litigations, including the ones in the the apex court. They have been dismissed," Surjiwala said.
"There is no wrongdoing anywhere or any favour to Robert Vadra. They now have a government at the Centre, in Rajasthan and in Haryana now. Why they could not find anything against Vadra in Rajasthan, they have government there for over so many months. The PM despite holding high office levels allegations based on newspaper reports. They are welcome to examine each and every transaction of the land dealings, be that in Haryana or Rajasthan. I can say with confidence, there was no wrongdoing or tweaking of rules in favour of any person," Surjiwala added.
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