Congress governments acted like 'land mafia' in allotting land to Robert Vadra: Haryana minister

ED reportedly issued a notice to a firm allegedly linked to Robert Vadra in Rajasthan's Bikaner city

With the Enforcement Directorate (ED) reportedly issuing a notice to a firm allegedly linked to Robert Vadra in Rajasthan's Bikaner city, Haryana Cabinet Minister Anil Vij on Wednesday said Congress president Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law is a 'Shahi Damaad' (royal son-in-law), adding the governments of the grand old party in various states acted like 'land mafia' in allotting land to him in 'dowry'.

"Robert Vadra is a 'shahi damaad' and there is a tradition in India of giving something to son-in-laws in dowry. The Congress government, which gifted land to their 'shahi damaad' misusing its power, is coming to the fore from various places now," said Vij taking a pot-shot on the previous Congress government in Rajasthan.

"In Rajasthan, the Enforcement Directorate has registered cases against various firms, including the firms owned by Robert Vadra. More such cases will come to the fore if we institute a probe in various Congress-ruled states. Land was 'looted' under the Congress regimes, which worked like land mafia," he alleged.

Talking about a judicial probe marked by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar's government in Haryana into Vadra's alleged land allotments, Vij said the commission has almost finished its probe and the report will be submitted any moment now.

"When the report comes, it will unveil many things, and action will also be taken on it," he told ANI.

According to sources, the notice has been issued to Skylight Hospitality firm under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The ED had on May 6 conducted searches of eight premises in Bikaner and nearby areas in this connection and registered a money laundering case against certain real estate developers and Rajasthan government officials to probe the Bikaner land scam.

The investigation is related to the purchase of 275 bighas allegedly by the company in the Kolayat area of Bikaner.