New Delhi: The Congress party erupted in a storm of accusations against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday, after Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s name appeared in the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) chargesheet for a Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) case. The controversy surrounds land transactions involving Priyanka Gandhi and her husband Robert Vadra with a Delhi-based real estate agent linked to an individual under investigation for financial crimes.
The ED claims Priyanka Gandhi purchased agricultural land in Haryana from one HL Pahwa in 2006 and later sold it back to him in 2010. Her husband, Robert Vadra, also allegedly bought and sold land to the same agent. Pahwa, in turn, has been linked to NRI businessman CC Thampi, currently under investigation for money laundering, foreign exchange violations, and black money offenses. Thampi is accused of aiding fugitive arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari in concealing financial gains from crimes. Notably, the ED already named Robert Vadra as a close associate of Thampi in a previous chargesheet.
Seizing the opportunity, Congress leaders fired broadsides at the BJP. Pawan Khera, a party spokesperson, dismissed the charges as a pre-election conspiracy, claiming, “Look at what they’ll do ahead of the elections, it’s just the beginning. They are not doing it for the first time, they hatch such conspiracies when elections approach.” Senior leader Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu echoed the sentiment, remarking that similar tactics were employed before the Lok Sabha elections.
The Congress camp was further galvanized by Maharashtra chief Nana Patole, who asserted that the BJP’s fear of the Gandhi family fuels such accusations. “They [the BJP] are so scared of the Gandhi family. Back then, the British were scared of Gandhi. And now, today’s government too is scared of Gandhi. That is why the Central government, Narendra Modi’s government, puts the Gandhi family into such issues and conspires to divert people from the real issues,” he declared.
Adding to the chorus of opposition, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar claimed the ED action against Priyanka Gandhi was part of a larger scheme to silence Congress leaders. He went on to disclose receiving a notice himself regarding a case previously dismissed, highlighting the purported misuse of investigative agencies.
Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also criticized the ED’s actions, raising concerns about the targeting of opposition leaders. “Three of our (AAP’s) leaders were sent to jail, two are still in jail. The trials have not begun yet and they have not been convicted. Yet, they have been in jail for so long. The law of ‘guilty until proven innocent’ is in effect, which is very dangerous,” remarked AAP spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar.
With elections looming on the horizon, the ED’s mention of Priyanka Gandhi has undoubtedly injected a potent dose of political drama into the national discourse. Whether it signifies a genuine legal development or a calculated political maneuver remains to be seen. The coming days will likely witness further volleys exchanged between the BJP and the opposition, keeping the political cauldron bubbling fiercely.
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