Robert Vadra: Kejriwal to come out with more evidence

The spotlight is still on Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra over his deals with realty major DLF. Anti-corruption activist and India Against Corruption (IAC) member Arvind Kejriwal, who accused Vadra of getting an unsecured loan of Rs 65 crore from DLF, said that he has more evidence against Vadra which shows Vadra received many more such favours because of his proximity to the Congress high command.

A day after the Congress ruled out any probe into the Vadra-DLF deals, Kejriwal is expected to come out with more allegations of favours granted to Vadra on Tuesday. Meanwhile, both Vadra and DLF have denied the allegations. Kejriwal also planned to expose DLF further - terming their response as a bunch of lies and is likely to claim that the building giant received favours from the Congress government in Haryana in return for deals with Vadra. While, the BJP is demanding an SIT or CBI investigation into the allegations, the Congress has ruled any probe.

Vadra on Monday deleted his Facebook account after a furore over his new status message that read, "Mango people in a banana republic," in an apparent dig at Kejriwal and senior Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan, who on Friday levelled allegations of corruption against him.

The IAC demanded an apology from Vadra calling the comment 'banana republic' an insult to the country. Taking a dig, Kejriwal also responded to the Vadra’s Facebook post, by tweeting, "Evidence pouring in from mango men from across the country. Mango men wud prove to be nemesis for the 'powerful'." Vadra ultimately deleted his Facebook account with a last post, saying, "Obviously it seems I have people on my Facebook account who do not have a sense of humour. Everything I write becomes news and further debates on television?? I have decided to delete my account."

Kejriwal on Monday also tried to justify his stand, saying he was not pro-BJP by attacking party leader Shanta Kumar for asking IAC to include Priyanka Vadra's property in their fight on DLF-Robert Vadra issue, saying the BJP government in Himachal Pradesh has the details and it should make it public.

Meanwhile, the Congress and its allies came out in full force to defend Vadra against allegations by Kejriwal. Hours after Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar backed Vadra, it was the turn of Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram to come out in defence of the Congress President's son-in-law.

The senior Congress leader on Monday while addressing the economic editors in New Delhi clarified that unless there were specific allegations of quid pro quo, the government cannot order investigations into deals between private entities.

Karnataka Govenror HR Bhardwaj, too, questioned Kejriwal's credentials for questioning Vadra. Bhardwaj took on Kejriwal and his colleagues, saying that they have been given too much importance. "Kejriwal is no expert. He was an IRS officer. I know Prashant and Shanti Bhushan. Shanti Bhushan dissolved seven Assemblies as law minister. We have given too much importance to these people," he said.

Earlier, key Congress ally Sharad Pawar had dared Kejriwal to go to court if he thought that his allegations about the Vadra-DLF deals were substantial. "If Kejriwal suspects there was wrongdoing, he should go to court. It has become fashionable to make allegations and ask the government to look into the matter. The wrong doer must be prosecuted and a criminal case must be filed," said Pawar in New Delhi on Sunday.

Kejriwal had on Friday accused Vadra of financial improprieties in his business dealings with DLF, a charge that both parties dismissed. Kejriwal alleged that DLF gave an unsecured loan of Rs 65 crore to Vadra, who used the same money to buy DLF properties at rock-bottom prices.