The Congress on Tuesday closed ranks to defend Robert Vadra, husband of Priyanka Gandhi, who has been the target of the BJP and its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi over his controversial land deals in Rajasthan and Haryana.

Priyanka, who has been campaigning in Raebareli, launched a strong defence saying her husband has been the target of political attacks and the Congress would fight it with determination.

“Chunav ka samay hai, tamasha shuru ho gaya hai...(It is election time and gimmickry has started),” she said, addressing a public meeting in Raebareli, the parliamentary constituency of her mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Taking a cue from Priyanka, the Congress attacked Modi for levelling “cheap and baseless allegations” against members of the Gandhi family.

The Congress had earlier referred to Vadra as a “private individual” when he was embroiled in controversies over reported land deals in Haryana and Rajasthan.
In his election speeches, Modi has been referring to Vadra as “jijaji” (brother-in-law - of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi) and a “magician” who could turn Rs 1 lakh into Rs 300 crore within three years.

Modi referred to the alleged shoddy land deals of Vadra as the RSVP (Rahul, Sonia, Vadra, Priyanka) model.

AICC spokesman Randeep Surjewala was brimming fire when he attacked Modi, the BJP and members of the Sangh Parivar for resorting to politics of malicious persecution aimed at the members of the Gandhi family.

Surjewala said the BJP has “sponsored” PILs in the Allahabad High Court and the Supreme Court against Vadra. Both the courts had “decisively rejected” the PILs and questioned the motive of the litigants, he said.