Robert Vadra announces plan to join politics, says ‘people are with me, I serve them…’

Businessman and brother-in-law of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Robert Vadra, on Wednesday alleged he is being targeted by probe agencies, since he is part of the Gandhi family, reported PTI.

Vadra claimed he plans to soon join politics as he has been working with people since 1999.

Earlier in the day, Vadra was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for the second straight day on Wednesday in a 2008 Haryana land deal-linked money laundering case. He mentioned that he is being asked the same questions.

Expressing his anguish, Vadra stated that he is being questioned even after the Haryana government has given him a clean chit in the case.

Vadra, accompanied by his wife and Congress MP from Wayanad Priyanka Gandhi, reached the ED office around 11 am. The ED allowed him to go home for lunch around 1.10 pm and it is expected that the questioning would continue after the lunch break.

"I am part of the Gandhi family, who always fights for the people. Obviously, the BJP has to go for (target) the Gandhi family and me. They have also charge-sheeted my family – my mother-in-law Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. The more you trouble us, the stronger we become... We will fight anything that comes our way," Vadra told PTI.

Probe agencies are being 'misused':

Vadra claimed probe agencies are being 'misused' by the government. He said, "They can see I have become the voice of the people. I am almost like an activist now. This happened because I responded to the government and continue to fight back against the constant false accusations made against me. The people are with me, I serve them. People would like to see me in politics."

Open to join politics?

Commenting on his intentions to join politics, Vadra said, as PTI quoted, "If I was to be in politics, I want to make a change. Yes, there will be a time when I will definitely be in politics. And I know that the truth will prevail."

"Everybody who is hopeful of becoming a chief minister or wants to join politics is always troubled by agencies unless you join the BJP... No BJP leader or minister will be summoned by the agencies," he added.

On ED probe:

Upset with the ED probe and questioning, Vadra said, "I don't understand what this is about and asking me the same kind of questions. I have answered all these questions in 2019. The case pertains to 2008 and why this delay of 17 years."

What is 2008 Haryana land deal?

The land deal is linked to Haryana's Manesar-Shikohpur (now Sector 83) in Gurugram, where in 2008, Skylight Hospitality Pvt Ltd – where Vadra was a director – had purchased 3.5 acres of land in Shikohpur from Onkareshwar Properties for ₹7.5 crore.

Led by chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the Haryana government approved it. Later in 2012, Skylight Hospitality Pvt Ltd sold the 3.53 acres of land to realty major DLF for ₹58 crore.

In October 2012, the land deal ran into controversy following IAS officer Ashok Khemka, then posted as the director general of land consolidation of Haryana, cancelled the mutation, categorising the transaction as violative of state consolidation Act and some related procedures.

With agency inputs.