BJP slams Rahul Gandhi over Robert Vadra notice

New Delhi: Questioning Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s “silence” over the income tax notice to his brother-in-law Robert Vadra, the BJP on Wednesday said both Mr Vadra and “fugitive”  businessman Vijay Mallya violated the law and flourished during the Congress-led UPA government. The ruling party claimed that both Mr Mallya and Mr Vadra, the “epitome of corruption during the UPA rule” are “feeling the heat of the law” under the Modi regime and are “feeling insecure.”  

“Fugitive tycoon Vijay Mallya and Robert Vadra, the epitome of corruption during the Congress-led UPA government, are now feeling the heat of the law. They are feeling insecure,” claimed BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra. He said the Income Tax department had issued a notice to Mr Vadra and his company Skylight Hospitality to pay arrears worth Rs 25 crore for the year 2010-11.

“Why is Rahul Gandhi silent on the income tax notice to Vadra and why didn’t he call it out,” asked Mr Patra as he added that the “law is now catching up with the corrupt in the country.” He further said that Mr Mallya and Mr Vadra both violated the law and flourished during the Congress-led UPA government.

Talking about the “fugitive” bysiness tycoon, the BJP leader said that he has travelled a long way from being “the king of good times to poster boy of bank default.”

“Fugitive tycoon Mallya was happy during the UPA era and sad now. Now you can judge how we treat a defaulter and how the UPA treated them,” said the BJP national spokesperson.

He also that claimed that Mr Mallya wrote a letter to former finance minister P. Chidambaram in 2013, seeking favours with regards to loan disbursals.