Land deal nod Hooda govt's parting gift to Gandhi family: BJP

Bharatiya Janata Party termed the Haryana government's approval to the land deal between Robert Vadra and DLF as its "parting gift" to the Gandhi family and questioned the Bhupinder Singh Hooda dispensation for displaying "haste" in clearing it.

The party also attacked the state government for "shying away" from moving the high court and instead "indulging in breach of hierarchy" in clearing the deal.

"We see it as a parting gift to the Gandhi family before the Haryana government of Congress loses it out," BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra told reporters.

He said before losing the government in Haryana, it is a parting gift to the Gandhi family "from one syndicate to another syndicate".

Questioning the state government's haste in clearing the Vadra land deal, he asked, "Why did the government of Haryana shy away from going to the higher appealing authority, the high court in this case. Why was the government in an absolute haste to solve the problem before a particular date even when the two parties involved had no grievance."

Citing a similar case where the Punjab and Haryana high court had questioned the state government why there should not be a CBI probe into all the land deals, the BJP leader said the case was withdrawn by the petitioner allegedly "under pressure" from the state government.

The BJP leader alleged that in the present case, Gurgaon Deputy Commissioner had issued orders on July 16 not to follow the instructions issued by the Director General Consolidation, who had cancelled the mutation of Vadra's land for which he had struck the deal with DLF, and is the higher appealing authority under the law.

The DC, he alleged, instead of moving the high court which is the appellate authority, issued orders terming the DG Consolidation of Land's letter as "illegal, void and without any jurisdiction".

"This is akin to a lower court saying that the higher court's jurisdiction should not be followed and that the higher court's orders are erred and invalid...," Patra said.

BJP also accused the Haryana government of promoting front companies for builders for "forcible and distress" sale of farmers land in the state as also for making money through clearing CLUs (Change of Land Use).

"What is the modus operandi of the Haryana government in looting the people of their land in the state," he questioned, alleging that the farmers are being forced to sell their land in distress to builders.

Patra alleged that the builders first approach the farmers for their land directly or through their front companies, and after their refusal the government initiates acquisition proceedings under Section 4 and Section 6 of the Land Acquisition Act.

"There is forcible and distress sale of farmers land due to the threat of acquisition," he said, claiming that the government gave benefits to big families, including the Gandhi family.

"Knowing very well that a non-corrupt government is going to take over in Haryana post-October 19, the Congress' corrupt dispensation of Haryana has seemed to act in a haste that the land the mutation of which was in dispute has legitimised and handed over as a parting gift to the 'damaad' of the Congress first family," Patra said.

Asked what its government in Rajasthan was doing in similar land deals in the state, the BJP spokesperson merely said, "Probe is on and the law will take its own course."

He claimed that the BJP if voted to power in Haryana will initiate a probe on such land deals and "the guilty will not be spared".