Cong rejects demand for inquiry into Vadra's land dealings

The Congress on Wednesday rejected the demand for an inquiry into Robert Vadra's land dealings suggesting the action taken by Haryana Indian Admistrative Service officer Ashok Khemka on a land deal involving the son-in law of Sonia Gandhi was an afterthought.

Dismissing the charges against Vadra as "absolutely baseless", party spokesperson Rashid Alvi said "no inquiry is needed. No inquiry is necessary. I outrightly reject this".

He said this to a question whether the Congress favoured a comprehensive probe in the matter as serious questions have been raised by the IAS officer on Vadra's land deal.

Alvi said if at all any inquiry has to be conducted or any action has to be taken, then it should be on the basis of any complaint filed before the Government of India or any appropriate agency.

"All of us appreciate that the officer was transferred on October 11. And he took a decision on this piece of land (of Vadra) on October 12 and 15. Hence, his transfer has nothing to do with this land. How can you relate his transfer to this particular land issue?"

Noting that according to media reports, Khemka was transferred nearly forty times, he wondered why nobody questioned the reason behind his transfer on earlier occasions. "It's not possible that the last 39 transfers happened without any reason. There must be some reason behind it. There must be some administrative reason (for the latest transfer), which can be replied to best by (Haryana) chief minister," Alvi said.

He also pointed that the Haryana government has already constituted a committee and ordered a "time-bound inquiry" into the issues raised by Khemka whose report will be out in a month.

Image: Robert Vadra