The BJP on Wednesday targeted Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, accusing them of having purchased land in Haryana through dubious deals.
The Congress hit back at the BJP saying the saffron party has levelled "completely baseless" charges against Rahul and Priyanka, only to divert attention from real issues such as "rampant joblessness" and "agrarian crisis."
The BJP trained guns on Rahul and Priyanka after a news portal published a story seeking to establish the Congress leaders' link with Sanjay Bhandari, an alleged defense deal lobbyist and aide of Rahul's brother-in-law Robert Vadra.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters here, Union minister Smriti Irani accused Rahul and Priyanka of having purchased land in Haryana through two separate dubious deals in 2018.
Both Rahul and Priyanka allegedly purchased land in Haryana from a man identified as H L Pahwa.
"A shocking fact that has come to light from the documents recovered by the investigative agencies is that the land lead between Rahul and Pahwa was funded by C C Thampi, who is currently facing probe in connection with cases involving Vadra," Irani said, showing photocopies of the alleged deal's documents during the press conference.
She demanded a response from the Congress president in this connection, saying Thampi's friendship with Vadra and "controversial" arms dealer Bhandari is "already known" to the public.
"The nation has now begun to understand as to why Rahul Gandhi is taking so much interest in defence deals. His intervention in the defence preparedness of our country stems from his pursuit not only of individual politics but his personal commercial interests and family interests," the Union minister alleged.
Hitting back, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala asked why if there was any wrongdoing in the said land deals, the BJP-led government did not probe it in the last five years.
"Smritiji has got so blinded by her desire for revenge against Rahul Gandhi along with her mentor Narendra Modi that she is resorting to fake and false allegations as a diversionary tactic to give cover fire to the prime minister. But they are never going to succeed," he said.
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