Congress changes strategy on Robert Vadra

New Delhi, April 12: The Congress has changed its strategy on Robert Vadra, husband of party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

Of late Gandhi family is facing the heat of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over Robert Vadra, whose name has been involved in dubious land deals with realty major DLF. In February, Rajasthan High Court issued summons to Vadra and his mother Maureen in relation to a 2015 case of illegal land transactions in Kolayat area of Bikaner.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders have been targeting the Gandhi family by highlighting Vadra 's role in the land deals.

Despite all this, Vadra was present when Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi filed their nominations from Amethi and Raebareli.

A party insider tells OneIndia that Vadra's presence at political events is a part of the Congress strategy.

"When Priyanka was appointed Congress general secretary then the party decided to be offensive and not defensive over Vadra to send a message in the country that he is being targeted for being a relative of Gandhi family," the insider says.

"This was the reason that Priyanka on a couple of occasions dropped her husband at the investigating agencies' offices where he was summoned for questioning. The idea was to play a victim card. Since Priyanka has entered into active politics and she cannot dump her controversial husband, so Vadra is being presented proudly," adds the insider.

When Priyanka was not involved in active politics then the Congress leaders wouldn't comment on Vadra, even during off the record conversations with journalists. However, now they defend Vadra by saying that he is being harassed by the Modi government because he is the husband of Priyanka.

It has also been decided that Priyanka with her husband will continue to campaign for her brother and Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who is contesting from Amethi Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh.

Union Minister Smriti Irani, who is the BJP candidate against Rahul Gandhi, has been launching scathing attacks on Gandhi family and Vadra.

She told ANI on Wednesday in Amethi that Vadra's campaigning will definitely benefit the BJP and wherever Vadra will go, the farmers would come out to vote to save their land from him.

Despite Irani 's regular attacks on Vadra, the Congress has decided not to give a reply as the party doesn't want to give wings to this issue.