'My name raked up everytime BJP is cornered, its political witch hunt', says Robert Vadra

New Delhi, Sep 26: With the BJP trying to drag Congress president Robert Vadra's name into the Rafale deal debate, Rahul Gandhi's brother-in-law has said that whenever the NDA government finds itself cornered it rakes up his name. He further dubbed allegations against him as "baseless political witch hunt".

To counter Congress' relentless attack after former French president Francois Hollande's claim that Indian government pressed for Anil Ambani's firm to be made as an offset partner in the Rafale deal, the BJP tried to introduce a 'Robert Vadra angle' into the contentious debate.

"Used to amaze me in beginning but now it has become wholesale farce that BJP rakes up my name every time they are cornered whether its falling rupee, soaring oil prices or this latest number when they have been totally exposed selling out nation on Rafale," Vadra told reporters today (September 26).

"Having all the agencies under their beck and call....no one knows better than the present government and the BJP that they have indulged in a baseless political witch hunt against me for the last 4 years," he added.

On Monday, the BJP accused Rahul Gandhi of being involved in a "conspiracy, internationally" to sabotage the Rafale deal and benefit his brother-in-law Robert Vadra, even as the Congress chief called Prime Minister Narendra Modi "India's commander-in-thief" in a veiled attack.

On Tuesday, BJP's Sambit Patra mentioned Robert Vadra's alleged link with Sanjay Bhandari while speaking about the Rafale issue.

"Rafale documents were recovered from Robert Vadra's close friend Sanjay Bhandari during a raid in 2016 at his house, how did these confidential documents reach there? Bhandari's company 'offset India solutions' was red flagged in 2014 by Modi Govt," Patra said on September 25.

"Two mails sent to Sanjay Bhandari with travel tickets worth of Rs. 8 lakh for Vadra for an Emirates Flight. First mail sent on Aug 7, 2012 has details of Vadra's travel plan for Aug 13 by flight no. EK71," he added.