Priyanka downplays hype surrounding ED's notice to Vadra

Priyanaka Gandhi took a jibe at the critics for creating unwarranted hype surrounding the Enforcement Directorate's notice to her husband Robert Vadra over his alleged involvement in land scam in Rajasthan's Bikaner city and said the over enthusiastic media broke the news yesterday while the copy has been received today.

"Apparently we received it at 4 pm today, but you (media) received it a day before," said Gandhi.

Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju earlier in the day said there is no vendetta behind the Enforcement Directorate's notice to a firm linked to Vadra's land in Bikaner, adding nobody is above the law of the land.

"If someone does something wrong and violates the law, where this point of vendetta comes? Nobody is above law in this country; everyone is equal before the law," he told ANI.

The Congress has demanded an 'unbiased and transparent' probe in the matter and said that it should not be aimed to harass anyone deliberately.

"The law is equal for all and if a fault is found then action should be initiated, but the investigation must be transparent and unbiased," Congress leader P.L. Punia told ANI.

"Since this government has assumed office, they have been targeting us. They are highlighting the issues pertaining to the Congress. They are using the media to portray as if there was serious implication, but till now there has been no case where the irregularities have come to the fore," he added.

The Enforcement Directorate has reportedly issued a notice to a firm allegedly linked to Vadra as part of its investigation into an alleged land scam in Rajasthan's Bikaner city.

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

The Enforcement Directorate had earlier on May 6 conducted searches at eight premises in Bikaner and nearby areas in connection with the case.

The Enforcement Directorate 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 bigha land allegedly by the company in the Kolayat area of Bikaner.