Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Congress should stop defending Vadra, order fair probe: BJP


(Indian Express)
In the wake of fresh charges levelled by social activist Arvind Kejriwal against Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra, BJP today demanded Congress and UPA ministers stop defending him and order a fair, free and comprehensive inquiry into his business dealings.

BJP alleged Congress has not gone for any proper inquiry or ensured that the guilty are brought to book in several scams, including the Commonwealth Games and the coal mines allocation scandal and even tried to sheild the culprits.

"Till today, no tangible steps have been taken by the government to control corruption even though Congress president Sonia Gandhi had given a five-point sutra to her chief ministers at Burari", BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said.

She maintained Kejriwal has quoted some Punjab and Haryana High Court judgements which deal with the nexus between DLF and Haryana government as well as Vadra.

"But Congress is not going to take any step. Investigations are too much to expect. More so when the Finance Minister himself has come out in defence of a person, though calling him a private person, on these serious allegations," Sitharaman said.

BJP insisted Vadra is a "politically exposed person" and all his high volume transactions should have been monitored as per the rules.

"Why is it that Congress has rushed to his defence instead of probing the whole matter. This is getting murkier. We demand a comprehensive inquiry.... It is high time Congress stops running away from an investigation... We want a fair and free probe," Sitharaman said.

Kejriwal "Cong agent", making charges to serve his ambitions: BJP

Miffed at activist Arvind Kejriwal stealing the show at a BJP programme yesterday, the opposition party today alleged he is levelling charges against parties and individuals as a part of his strategy to serve his political ambitions.

BJP General Secretary Vijay Goel, who had welcomed Kejriwal to the stage at a party protest programme yesterday, did not mince words to express his anger against the social activist's behaviour.

Kejriwal had spoken against BJP from the dais and asked what the Opposition had done to check the "wrongdoings" of the Sheila Dikshit government in Delhi.

"BJP has always opposed the hike in power bills. We have held demonstrations in all parts of Delhi. We held a protest in which 2,000 RWAs participated.... Who is Kejriwal to ask us what we have done in the last three years? He has entered the protests just three days back and restored two power connections and he thinks he is leading the movement," Goel fumed.

The BJP leader alleged Kejriwal is a "Congress agent" and his criticism of the opposition party is aimed at weakening the agitation against the "unjustified" hike in

power bills of the people.

When it was pointed out that Kejriwal had "exposed" how Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra's business relations with realty major DLF and hence could not be acting at the behest of Congress, Goel only repeated his

charges.

"Yes, he is attacking political parties and individuals as he is starting a political party," Goel said in reply to a question.

He demanded a public apology from Kejriwal for attacking BJP at yesterday's public meeting.

Asked why BJP had supported Anna Hazare's agitation and backed Kejriwal too in the past but is now so opposed to him, Goel said "when something is right, we will support it but when something is wrong we will speak against it."

He ruled out Kejriwal being a threat to prospects of BJP in the Delhi assembly polls due next year.

BJP insisted it has been in the forefront of fighting against the hike in electricity bills of the people.

Clearing the air on yesterday's incident, Goel said Kejriwal and around 30-50 of his supports came to the venue where BJP members were agitating against power bill hike. "We had not invited him. He came to the dais on his own and said he would like to speak for two minutes. Out of courtesy, we allowed him," Goel said.

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