Vadra backs Rahul on Rafale, defends self on Sanjay Bhandari links

Backing the Congress party's attacks on the government over the Rafale deal issue, businessman Robert Vadra on Thursday said party president Rahul Gandhi aims to bring out the truth about fighter jet purchase in the open.

Vadra, however, defended himself on the alleged connections with arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari, saying his name is being dragged for political reasons and if found involved, he is ready to face the situation.

In a bid to nail the government, the Congress party has raised several questions in the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets from a French company and accused the government of doing the deal in a non-transparent manner.

In an exclusive interview to ANI, Vadra, who is Rahul Gandhi's brother-in-law, said that with 2019 general elections inching closer, the Congress president is bringing the facts in front of the people of the country, so that they know whom to choose to the govern the nation.

"I am away from politics and any kind of topics like that. That is not my place at all. The day I am in politics, I will engage with such issues. This is Rahul's thing, Rahul is looking at it. Rahul is very clear about his ideas and he will definitely make sure that the nation knows what is going on is right or wrong, and it will be in front of everybody," Vadra said.

"It will be for the people to decide around. As the elections are coming, they (people) have the right to vote for the right government. He (Rahul) is getting the right message across to them (people)," Vadra added.

Responding on a query on his alleged links with the fugitive arms dealer Sanjay Bhandri, who in an Enforcement Directorate interrogation last year had admitted of having ties with him, Vadra said that if found guilty he will deal with it.

On the Bharatiya Janata Party dragging his name, Vadra underscored: "They (BJP) will always keep on dragging me for one reason or the other. I am in this country not in any other part of the world. They know my address. They know where I stay. They can keep on bringing new topics. If there is something wrong that I have done, I am here to deal with it. And, if there is nothing wrong, then they (BJP) can keep on bringing something or the other," he added.