ED action against Vadra 'witch-hunt'; another attempt to intimidate, persecute: Congress

New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday termed as "witch-hunting" the Enforcement Directorate's charge sheet against Robert Vadra and said it is another attempt of the government to "intimidate and persecute" which will fail miserably.

Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala claimed that there is "not an iota of illegality" in the land deal of Vadra and asked since when has sale and purchase of property become illegal.

"The witch hunting of Sh. Robert Vadra is another vicious attempt of Modi Government to intimidate and persecute, which will fail miserably," Surjewala said in a post on X.

In Shikohpur, he claimed, "there is not an iota of illegality or whisper of a crime." "Since when have sale and purchase of property (3.5 Acres of land in this case) have become illegal or criminal," the Congress leader asked.

Earlier in the day, the ED filed a charge sheet against Vadra, the businessman husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, in a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in a land deal in Haryana's Shikohpur.

"Was an inch of Government land allotted? Answer is NO ! Was any License given to Robert Vadra for 'change of land use'? Answer is NO ! "Was any stamp duty evaded? Answer is NO ! Was any Law, rules or regulations for sale or purchase of land or for conversion of land violated? Answer is NO ! "Do Robert Vadra or his Company own the land or have made any building thereon? Answer is NO ! Who owns the land and license ? Answer is DLF since the year 2012. Then, WHAT IS THE CRIME?," Surjewala asked in his post.

"Crime is that the "factory of false persecution" has to keep fake narratives alive. Truth will win !," the Congress leader said.

Vadra's office issued a statement later saying the present proceedings are nothing more than an extension of the political witch hunt by the present government against him.

This is the first time that any probe agency has filed a prosecution complaint naming the 56-year-old Vadra in a criminal case.

The federal investigative agency, sources told PTI, has also attached 43 immovable properties located in Rajasthan, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Gujarat worth Rs. 37.64 crore pertaining to Vadra and his linked entities like Sky Light Hospitality Pvt. Ltd. and others.