It's a conspiracy, says Sonia Gandhi on Robert Vadra's 'benami' house in UK
New Delhi: Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday challenged the government to "conduct an inquiry” if they have proof whether her son-in-law Robert Vadra owned a house in London through an arms dealer. She dared the government to order an impartial probe if there is something in which she said the truth will come out.
On a visit to her Parliamentary constituency, Gandhi was asked by newsmen on reports citing a probe by Income Tax department into transactions of an arms dealer and his links with Vadra, especially with regard to ownership of a house in central London.
"This is a conspiracy for Congress-free country. What is the meaning of Congress-free India. Everyday they make new excuses. They level false charges. If there is something, then there should be an impartial probe. Everything will become clear," she said.
News reports quoted from purported papers seized by the IT department during searches last month on the arms dealer's premises that allegedly led to a trail of emails between Vadra and his assistant on the one hand and the dealer's aide on the other regarding the purchase of a London house for approximately Rs 19 crore in 2009 which was subsequently said to have been sold.
Read: BJP hits back at Sonia over Vadra's defence, Shahenshah remark
On Monday, senior BJP leader Kirit Somaiya sought a detailed inquiry by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into the alleged involvement of Vadra in the purchase of the proxy-owned mansion in London in 2009.
Read: Probe Robert Vadra’s benami property in UK, says BJP
Somaiya wrote a letter to the ED Director, Karnal Singh, in this regard and sought a detailed probe into the matter. The BJP leader in his letter quoted media reports saying that a benami or proxy-owned property in London by Vadra.
“The media report quotes a government report stating that alleged arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari is holding a house at 12 Ellerton House, Bryanston Square, London,” said Somaiya in his letter.
Vadra, however, denied the charges. Vadra’s lawyers have said he “does not own directly or indirectly, a house — as quoted in media reports as No. 12, Ellerton House, Bryanston Square, London” — and that Vadra and his assistant “have not enter-ed into any transaction of a financial nature with Sanjay Bhandari and are not even aware that Bhandari is involved in any defense transaction”.
