Pushed on the backfoot by the Lalit Modi controversy, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has been making a valiant attempt to deflect attention from the revelations involving External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia. But to little avail.
While there has been no let-up in the steady flow of disclosures by television news channels, the Congress has simultaneously kept up its attack, releasing a series of documents to show that Vasundhara Raje had business dealings with economic offender Lalit Modi.
The principal opposition party has made it clear it will not allow the forthcoming monsoon session of Parliament to transact any business till Swaraj and the Rajasthan chief minister put in their papers.
Not willing to give in to the media and opposition pressure, the Modi government has decided to stand by the two beleaguered leaders. It lost no time in defending Swaraj and exonerating her of any wrong doing in helping sacked Indian Premier League chief Lalit Modi obtain UK travel documents.
Shifting positions
In the case of Vasundhara Raje, the party first chose silence. It was only after two days that it decided to defend her. As a result, defensive BJP leaders have been doing a lot of explaining in their brave effort to give a clean chit to Swaraj and Vasundhara Raje.
While it basked in the adulation of the media until only a few weeks ago, the ruling alliance is desperate to change the ongoing political narrative to minimise the damage to the Modi government’s image as the Congress continues with its offensive.
The BJP counter-attack began when the Central Bureau of Investigation registered a preliminary enquiry against the Congress party’s Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh, his wife Pratibha Singh and their children in connection with an old disproportionate assets case. According to the CBI, Singh had acquired illegal assets to the tune of Rs 6 crore when he was steel minister in the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government.
The timing of the CBI action was promptly questioned as the premier investigating agency had filed an affidavit in the Delhi High Court last year, saying it had found no evidence against the Himachal Pradesh chief minister.
The CBI followed this up by registering a case against former union minister for textiles and former Gujarat chief minister Shankersinh Vaghela and officials of the National Textile Corporation for the alleged sale of prime land belonging to Shree Madhusudan Mills in Mumbai at throwaway prices due to which the government suffered a loss of nearly Rs 710 crore. Vaghela’s residence in Gandhinagar was also raided.
Failed tactics
However, the two developments failed to divert the attention of the media which remained focussed on the Lalitgate story. Similarly, the Congress has not been intimidated by the Modi government’s efforts to remind the electorate about the United Progressive Alliance’s corruption-ridden regime. Realising that the CBI cases have made little impact, the Congress remains on the warpath.
The BJP has, therefore, changed tack and is focusing on the Nehru-Gandhi family.
It is no coincidence that media reports have surfaced recently that the Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi may be served notices by the income tax department for defaulting to pay on an income of nearly Rs 1,300 crore they earned from the transfer of shares of Associated Journal Ltd, which published the now-defunct party newspaper The National Herald.
BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has charged that the Gandhis misappropriated AJL assets when they transferred its shares to a new company, Young India Ltd in which Sonia and Rahul Gandhi have over 95% shares. According to Swamy, AJL’s assets were earlier owned by the Congress party and, therefore, exempt from income tax. However, once the shares were transferred to the Gandhis, they were liable to pay tax and penalty for concealing their income.
A case in this regard was filed in a Delhi trial court which issued summons to the Gandhis last July to appear in person. However, they got a stay order from the Delhi High Court which is slated to hear the case on July 2.
It is again coincidental that the Congress president’s daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is also in the news at this juncture. Responding to a RTI enquiry, the Information Commission of Himachal Pradesh recently ruled that the details about the purchase of land by Gandhi Vadra be made public within ten days. She has bought two plots in the hill state and is constructing a cottage on these properties. Gandhi Vadra had earlier written to the state government that details about her properties should not be disclosed for security reasons.
Special favours alleged
The BJP wants to establish that Sonia Gandhi’s daughter was extended special favours by the Congress government that was then in power in Himachal Pradesh, which cleared her application for the purchase of a property in 2007. However, this case may fail to resonate as the subsequent BJP government also gave the necessary clearances when Priyanka sought permission to buy another plot in 2011.
While these details will be made public soon, the one-member Dhingra Commission set up by the BJP-led Haryana government to probe the land deals of Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra began work three days ago. The Commission is to submit its report at the earliest but not later than six months. Vadra was in the eye of a storm during the UPA regime for having been bestowed special favours by the Congress government in Haryana.
It will not be surprising if fresh cases of wrong doing and impropriety involving the Gandhis and other Congress leaders surface in the coming days. The BJP is busy digging up dirt against its political rivals to blunt the Congress attack and put the opposition party on the defensive before the commencement of the next session of Parliament on July 21. As things stand today, the session is expected to be a wash-out as promised by a belligerent Congress.
While there has been no let-up in the steady flow of disclosures by television news channels, the Congress has simultaneously kept up its attack, releasing a series of documents to show that Vasundhara Raje had business dealings with economic offender Lalit Modi.
The principal opposition party has made it clear it will not allow the forthcoming monsoon session of Parliament to transact any business till Swaraj and the Rajasthan chief minister put in their papers.
Not willing to give in to the media and opposition pressure, the Modi government has decided to stand by the two beleaguered leaders. It lost no time in defending Swaraj and exonerating her of any wrong doing in helping sacked Indian Premier League chief Lalit Modi obtain UK travel documents.
Shifting positions
In the case of Vasundhara Raje, the party first chose silence. It was only after two days that it decided to defend her. As a result, defensive BJP leaders have been doing a lot of explaining in their brave effort to give a clean chit to Swaraj and Vasundhara Raje.
While it basked in the adulation of the media until only a few weeks ago, the ruling alliance is desperate to change the ongoing political narrative to minimise the damage to the Modi government’s image as the Congress continues with its offensive.
The BJP counter-attack began when the Central Bureau of Investigation registered a preliminary enquiry against the Congress party’s Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh, his wife Pratibha Singh and their children in connection with an old disproportionate assets case. According to the CBI, Singh had acquired illegal assets to the tune of Rs 6 crore when he was steel minister in the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government.
The timing of the CBI action was promptly questioned as the premier investigating agency had filed an affidavit in the Delhi High Court last year, saying it had found no evidence against the Himachal Pradesh chief minister.
The CBI followed this up by registering a case against former union minister for textiles and former Gujarat chief minister Shankersinh Vaghela and officials of the National Textile Corporation for the alleged sale of prime land belonging to Shree Madhusudan Mills in Mumbai at throwaway prices due to which the government suffered a loss of nearly Rs 710 crore. Vaghela’s residence in Gandhinagar was also raided.
Failed tactics
However, the two developments failed to divert the attention of the media which remained focussed on the Lalitgate story. Similarly, the Congress has not been intimidated by the Modi government’s efforts to remind the electorate about the United Progressive Alliance’s corruption-ridden regime. Realising that the CBI cases have made little impact, the Congress remains on the warpath.
The BJP has, therefore, changed tack and is focusing on the Nehru-Gandhi family.
It is no coincidence that media reports have surfaced recently that the Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi may be served notices by the income tax department for defaulting to pay on an income of nearly Rs 1,300 crore they earned from the transfer of shares of Associated Journal Ltd, which published the now-defunct party newspaper The National Herald.
BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has charged that the Gandhis misappropriated AJL assets when they transferred its shares to a new company, Young India Ltd in which Sonia and Rahul Gandhi have over 95% shares. According to Swamy, AJL’s assets were earlier owned by the Congress party and, therefore, exempt from income tax. However, once the shares were transferred to the Gandhis, they were liable to pay tax and penalty for concealing their income.
A case in this regard was filed in a Delhi trial court which issued summons to the Gandhis last July to appear in person. However, they got a stay order from the Delhi High Court which is slated to hear the case on July 2.
It is again coincidental that the Congress president’s daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is also in the news at this juncture. Responding to a RTI enquiry, the Information Commission of Himachal Pradesh recently ruled that the details about the purchase of land by Gandhi Vadra be made public within ten days. She has bought two plots in the hill state and is constructing a cottage on these properties. Gandhi Vadra had earlier written to the state government that details about her properties should not be disclosed for security reasons.
Special favours alleged
The BJP wants to establish that Sonia Gandhi’s daughter was extended special favours by the Congress government that was then in power in Himachal Pradesh, which cleared her application for the purchase of a property in 2007. However, this case may fail to resonate as the subsequent BJP government also gave the necessary clearances when Priyanka sought permission to buy another plot in 2011.
While these details will be made public soon, the one-member Dhingra Commission set up by the BJP-led Haryana government to probe the land deals of Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra began work three days ago. The Commission is to submit its report at the earliest but not later than six months. Vadra was in the eye of a storm during the UPA regime for having been bestowed special favours by the Congress government in Haryana.
It will not be surprising if fresh cases of wrong doing and impropriety involving the Gandhis and other Congress leaders surface in the coming days. The BJP is busy digging up dirt against its political rivals to blunt the Congress attack and put the opposition party on the defensive before the commencement of the next session of Parliament on July 21. As things stand today, the session is expected to be a wash-out as promised by a belligerent Congress.
Buy an annual Scroll Membership to support independent journalism and get special benefits.
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!