Cong ‘rebel’ MP speaks up,calls for Vadra probe

Stating that the “administration” has not functioned properly,Singh,who has been having a running battle with Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda,alleged that relatives of many leaders are involved in land deals but their cases are being overlooked.

“If an inquiry happens,it will be clear which people from which party are involved. I believe that whenever there is talk about the change of land use,scam,immoral amassing of wealth,the role of everybody should be probed and not only that of one individual who is the son-in-law of Congress president Sonia Gandhi,” he said.

Singh claimed that the land use of 21,000 acres was changed from agricultural to SEZ in the last five-six years. Stating that 1,200 acres of land had been released by the Haryana government,he said,“Every time the Hooda government is in some kind of difficulty,the Vadra case comes up. So my main contention is that if there has to be any kind of inquiry,it should not include only this four acres (under the Vadra-DLF deal) but should include the 1,200 acres…”

While avoiding a direct reply on whether Vadra was given land in contravention of rules,Singh said: “This question definitely comes to my mind that if Vadra has done anything wrong or if it is being shown that he supported any attempt towards a wrong,why is only his name being raised? There are many other leaders whose relatives are also involved. Why is there no discussion on them… whenever there is any problem,the matters related to others are ignored by taking Vadra’s name.”

He said there is a perception in Gurgaon that a lot of land has been changed from agricultural use to either commercial or residential. “The perception is that bigwigs from all over the country,from various parties,have had a hand in the development,and in the licences that have been approved over the past seven-eight years for various builders,” he said.

The Congress,meanwhile,chose to downplay Singh’s remarks,with party spokesperson Renuka Chowdhary saying the MP has already clarified that he had not said what was being interpreted in the media. T\he party is reportedly wary about taking any disciplinary action against him as it is learnt to have decided to distance itself from the Vadra case.

The Congress asserted that there is “nothing dirty for us to come clean on” in the Vadra-DLF land deal issue,and left it to its government in Haryana to decide the matter. At the same time,it made it clear that there was “no parallel” between the cases of Khemka and suspended IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal.

“Was Khemka suspended? Khemka was transferred because of an internal process. There is no parallel between the situations. He was not suspended and he went on and on across television channels,” Chowdhary said at the AICC briefing.

Congress sources said Singh,former union minister and three-term MP,has long been planning to quit the party and his outbursts against Vadra could be the “prelude” to his departure. The party is waiting for Singh’s September 22 rally in Rewari,where he is expected to formally announce his exit from the Congress. Singh has been sulking since he was left out of the union cabinet in the reshuffle last year.