Sambit Patra hits back at Kapil Sibal, calls Robert Vadra 'fountainhead of corruption'

The political slugfest between the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over raids conducted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on offices associated with businessman Robert Vadra has gotten murkier, with BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra terming Vadra as the "fountainhead of corruption."

Patra's statement came shortly after Congress leader Kapil Sibal hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for backing the ED's "hooliganism."

"There was no FIR or ECIR against Vadra Ji and people of the Enforcement Directorate reached his offices without any warrant. They didn't reveal their names and when asked to wait by the people in the office to get keys to the office, they broke into the premises. What kind of government is this? If law enforcement agencies resort to hooliganism, who will question them? If they are supported by the Prime Minister himself, who will question it? Where is the law and order in the country?" Sibal had asked while addressing a press conference on Saturday.

Responding to the same, Patra told ANI: "Congress and corruption are synonymous, and Robert Vadra is the fountainhead of corruption. Congress feels they have some kind of birthright when it comes to corruption. They feel they are entitled to some kind of immunity when it comes to corruption, such that no investigation should be done against them or Robert Vadra. I want to know from Mr Kapil Sibal, Mr Ahmed Patel and others- has Robert Vadra, who they called a private citizen, become an extremely important leader in the Congress party today that the whole Congress is defending a corrupt Robert Vadra?"

Sibal, during the presser, had also claimed that the Prime Minister Modi-led Centre was attacking the Opposition by sending teams of the ED and Income Tax department to their houses/offices fearing defeat in the recently-concluded Assembly polls in five states.

"The people in power, especially the Prime Minister, is thinking that the exit polls are right and are scared. People in opposition are being targeted by sending IT, ED teams. I want to ask Modi Ji- rather blame him- for such things that are taking place in his rule," he had said.

However, Patra, while backing the Prime Minister, said: "Today, we have a strong determined Prime Minister, who had promised that he will not let anyone promoting corruption go Scott free. That's the reason why we see a Christian Michel in India after being extradited from the UAE."

On Friday, the ED had conducted raids at the premises of some close associates of Vadra, the son-in-law of UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, for allegedly receiving money from defence suppliers.

Sources in the ED said raids were conducted at three places in Delhi, in addition to Bengaluru.