New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday came out strongly in defence of his brother-in-law Robert Vadra, terming the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) latest chargesheet against him as a continuation of a “ten-year-long political witch-hunt” carried out by the ruling BJP government.
Addressing the media following the ED’s move to file a prosecution complaint in the Shikohpur land deal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), Gandhi said: “My brother-in-law has been hounded by this government for the last ten years. This latest chargesheet is a continuation of that witch-hunt.” He extended full support to Vadra, his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and their children, asserting that the family has remained strong despite continuous targeting.
The ED has accused Vadra and his firm, Sky Light Hospitality Pvt Ltd, of acquiring 4.5 acres of prime land in Shikohpur, Gurugram, through illegal means in 2008. As part of the probe, the agency has provisionally attached 43 assets in Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, and Mumbai, valued at ₹37.6 crore.
Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala also dismissed the charges as politically motivated, insisting there was “not an iota of illegality” in the Shikohpur land purchase. “Is buying and selling land now a crime? When did legitimate property deals become a criminal offence? This is an attempt to intimidate,” Surjewala said.
Robert Vadra, in his response, reiterated his full cooperation with investigating agencies and expressed confidence that the judiciary would vindicate him. His legal team termed the case as baseless and politically timed ahead of upcoming elections.
The Shikohpur land deal case has been under scrutiny since 2013, when allegations surfaced regarding undervalued transactions and links to real estate developers. Thursday’s chargesheet is the first formal prosecution move by the ED against Vadra in the case.
The Congress party has consistently accused the Modi government of using central agencies to settle political scores. With this latest escalation, the party has reiterated its stance that the charges are part of a systematic effort to harass opposition figures.
