Priyanka clears air on Haryana land deal

Reports linking her land deals with her husband’s company, which is under the scanner of the Haryana government, are “politically motivated”, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has said.

The reports are being investigated based on orders from the Haryana government.  In a statement late on Thursday night, Priyanka said her finances have nothing to do with those of her husband Robert Vadra or his company Skylight Hospitality, which is being investigated over land deals with realty major DLF.

The Congress on Friday enagged the services of senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi to defend the Vadras, whose land deals have been under a cloud after media reports claimed that the government-appointed Dhingra commission found Robert made “unlawful profits” in Haryana in 2008. 

Singhvi accused the BJP of political vendetta by selectively leaking the Justice Dhingra panel report on Robert’s controversial land deals.

He said the panel report was “null and void” as it was prepared without issuing notices to either Robert or the then chief minister B S Hooda to hear their versions.

“Can a report damn you without giving a notice,” Singhvi asked. He also cautioned against the publication of the report details as it would amount to contempt of court.

“There are two injunctions on publishing the report,” he said, quoting an order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, dated November 23, 2016 and April 26, 2017.

Anticipating publication of the reports, Priyanka in the statement admitted to buying five acres of agricultural land in Amipur village in Haryana’s Faridabad district at a circle rate of Rs 3 lakh per acre and reselling it to the original vendor in 2010 at the prevailing market rate of Rs 16 lakh per acre. “The source of funds for the aforesaid purchase was rental income of Smt Priyanka Gandhi Vadra from property inherited by her from her grandmother Smt Indira Gandhi,” her statement read.
DH News Service