Case against Vadra, Hooda tactic to divert attention from Modi govt's failures: Congress

The Congress on Sunday dubbed an FIR against Robert Vadra and former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda as a "vicious propaganda" by the Narendra Modi government to divert public attention from its failures in the last four years.

Randeep Surjewala. Photo: PTI (File)

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Sunday dubbed an FIR against Robert Vadra and former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda as a "vicious propaganda" by the Narendra Modi government to divert public attention from its failures in the last four years. Vadra, who is the son-in-law of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, and Hooda were on Saturday booked by Haryana Police for alleged irregularities in land deals in Gurgaon. "To divert attention from the corruption saga of the Rafale deal, the scam of demonetisation, the 12 lakh crore loot through hike in prices of petrol and diesel, the failure to create two crore jobs every year, the rapidly falling rupee and failing economy and complete failure of governance of the Narendra Modi government; a new set of 'manufactured lies' is being served through false and fake FIRs against political opponents," Congress media in-charge Randeep Surjewala said. The FIR against Vadra and Hooda said Vadra's Skylight Hospitality Pvt Ltd purchased 3.5 acre of land in Gurgaon's Sector 83 from Onkareshwar Properties at a price of Rs 7.50 crore in 2008, when Hooda was the chief minister and also held the portfolio of Town and County Planning Department. It's being alleged that Skylight Hospitality sold this land to realty major DLF for Rs 58 crore, after procuring commercial licence for the development of the colony with the influence of Hooda. Surjewala said that clear facts are available in public domain that Skylight Hospitality Private Limited of Vadra purchased a small piece of land measuring 3.5 acres on January 28, 2008 in the notified commercial zone of village Sikohpur, Gurgaon, Haryana through a registered sale-deed for Rs.7.95 crore including stamp duties as per the prevailing collector rate. "In accordance with the prevailing government policy for grant of licence, a commercial licence for 2.5 acres was granted on December 15, 2008. Commercial colony licence charges of Rs.7.43 core and renewal charges of Rs.73 lakh were also paid." "Thus, total amount paid for purchase of land and statutory charges comes to Rs.16.11 crore. After a lapse of nearly 5 years, this land was sold by Skylight to DLF for Rs.58 crore on September 18, 2012. "Even on this amount, Skylight/Vadra paid an additional tax of Rs. 8 crore. Thus, a total amount of Rs.24.11 crore (16.11 crore+8 crore) was paid in statutory charges/taxes against the receipt of sale price of Rs.58 crore," he said The Congress leader claimed the licence remains valid till date and has not been cancelled on account of violation of any rule or law or policy for grant of licence. "The entire allegations are, thus, false and fabricated on the face of it," he said. Meanwhile,  Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the case against Vadra and Hooda will be thoroughly investigated even as he ruled out any vendetta behind the FIR. "The FIR registered on Saturday (against Vadra and Hooda) will be thoroughly examined and investigated," the chief minister said.