"Lows of vindictive government": Robert Vadra on questioning of mother

New Delhi, Feb 12: Congress President Rahul Gandhi's brother-in-law Robert Vadra on Tuesday hit out at the Centre terming it as a "vindictive government" over the Enforcement Directorate's summons to his 75-year-old mother Maureen Vadra along with him in a money-laundering case. Robert and Maureen Vadra are expected to appear before the ED at 10 am today.

"So here we are my 75-year-old mother and me in Jaipur to depose in front of the Enforcement Directorate. Not understanding the lows of this vindictive government to be harassing a senior citizen, who the world knows has lost her daughter in a car crash, her ailing son to diabetes, and her husband as well. Three deaths and all I did was to ask her to spend time with me in my office, so I can look after her and we both could grieve on our losses, while spending time together," Robert Vadra posted on Facebook.

"Now she is being accused, maligned and called to be interrogated, for spending time in my office," said the businessman.

"This too shall pass and will make me stronger. What goes around comes around. God is with us!!" Vadra added.

The 50-year-old businessman reached Jaipur on Monday for questioning by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with an alleged land scam case involving 275 acres of land in the Kolayat sub-division of Bikaner district of Rajasthan. Robert Vadra was accompanied by his mother Maureen Vadra. He will appear before the ED in Jaipur today. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also reached Jaipur late on Monday after wrapping up her mega roadshow in Lucknow.

Vadra's mother Maureen is also likely to appear before the central probe agency at about 10 AM at its zonal office on Bhawani Singh Road in Jaipur Tuesday.

In the Bikaner case, the agency had summoned Vadra thrice but he failed to appear and later approached the court.

The ED had registered a criminal case in connection with the deal in 2015, taking cognisance of a clutch of FIRs and chargesheets filed by the Rajasthan police after the tehsildar of Bikaner complained about alleged forgery in the allotment of land in the area, considered sensitive due to its proximity to the Indo-Pak border.

The ED, it is understood, wants to question Vadra about the operations of a firm - Ms Skylight Hospitality Private Limited - allegedly linked to him, which had purchased land in the area. It also wants to confront Vadra with the statements of those said to be linked to him.

Last week, Robert Vadra was questioned for three days straight for his role in another money laundering case involving purchase of a property in the United Kingdom (UK).