In a surprise move, the Samajwadi Party that had decided to continue its support to the UPA government barely a few days ago has now demanded an independent probe against UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra, who is facing allegations of corruption by civil society activists.
Mr Azam Khan, who is the seniormost minister in the Akhilesh Yadav government and also a founder member of the Samajwadi Party, said in Varanasi on Sunday that no one is above the law and those engaging in unlawful activities should not be spared.
”Why just Robert Vadra? All those who engage in such unlawful activities should be probed. The law should be allowed to prevail without coming under pressure from any person or family,” the SP leader said.
His statement comes as a surprise since the Samajwadi leadership, till now, has avoided commenting on the controversy surrounding Mr Vadra ever since social activist Arvind Kejriwal on Friday levelled allegations against him and said his wealth increased from `50 lakh to over `300 crore within three years. Mr Kejriwal had claimed that they have evidence to show that Mr Vadra received kickbacks from DLF. “Robert Vadra’s income grew from `50 lakhs to `300 crore in three years and DLF gave `65 crore unsecured loan. What benefit did Mr Vadra give to DLF to secure these loans?” he demanded to know.
He further asserted that Mr Vadra was involved in a property scam and demanded an explanation from the UPA government on the issue. The Congress has rubbished all the allegations and Mr Vadra has also denied the same. ENDS/