Days after the BJP dragged his name into the Rafale controversy, Robert Vadra—businessman and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law—broke his silence and said the ruling party had been indulging in a "baseless political witch hunt" against him for the past four years.
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In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Vadra said the saffron party rakes up his name every time it is cornered on any issue, and this time it stands exposed on the Rafale deal.
The BJP had accused Congress chief Rahul Gandhi of being involved in a "conspiracy, internationally" to sabotage the fighter aircraft deal and benefit Vadra.
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"It used to amaze me in the beginning, but now it has become a wholesale farce that the BJP rakes up my name every time they are cornered for bad governance," Vadra said in the Facebook post.
“Whether its the falling rupee, soaring oil prices or this latest number....When they have been totally exposed selling out the nation on Rafale. Having all the agencies under their beck and call....no one knows better than the present government and the BJP that they have indulged in a baseless political witch hunt against me, for the last 4 years. Instead they should man up with their 56” chests and tell the nation the truth about the RAFALE deal, rather than hiding behind a bunch of lies that the people are fed up of hearing them repeat,” his post read.
The Congress had launched an offensive against the Union government over the Rafale deal, alleging corruption and violation of rules by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demanded answers from him.
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The party also accused the prime minister, the finance minister and the defence minister of "lying on the issue".
The Rafale controversy took a turn last week after former French president Francois Hollande claimed that the Indian government proposed Reliance Defence's name as the offset partner for Dassault Aviation.
Hollande's comments to Mediapart, a French publication, triggered sharp reactions from the opposition parties, which have been accusing the government of massive irregularities in the deal and benefiting Reliance Defence Limited despite not having any experience in the aerospace sector.
(With PTI inputs)