Funds for my property not linked to husband's finances: Priyanka

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Congress President Sonia Gandhi's daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday said that agricultural land bought by her in Haryana's Faridabad district or other property acquired by her had no links to finances of her husband, his Skylight Hospitality or reality major DLF.

In a statement issued by her office following queries by a journalist, Priyanka said that six years prior to the alleged "land deal involving Skylight Hospitality" on April 28, 2006, she purchased 40 kanal (five acres) agricultural land in Amipur village of Faridabad.

She said the land was purchased for Rs 15 lakh through cheque, which comes to Rs 3 lakh per acre.

The statement said the funds for the purchase came from rental income of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra from property inherited by her from her grandmother Indira Gandhi.

"The source of funds for this or any other property acquired by Priyanka has no relationship whatsoever with Robert Vadra's finances and/or Skylight Hospitality and no relationship whatsoever with (reality firm) DLF," the statement said.

The statement said the collector rate for agricultural land in Amipur for 2006-07 and as of April 28, 2006, (date of purchase) was Rs 3 lakh per acre.

"Priyanka paid stamp duty of four per cent (applying to women purchaser of rural agricultural land) totalling Rs 60,000," the statement said.

It said Priyanka Gandhi Vadra resold the said land to the original vendor pursuant to a right of first refusal on February 17, 2010, (four years later) for Rs 80 lakh through cheque, that is Rs 16 lakh per acre and the prevailing market rate at that time.

The statement said any allegations that besmirch her reputation will be based on certain questionable documents and represent a deliberate, politically motivated and malicious campaign to besmirch and destroy her reputation.

They will be entirely false, utterly baseless and defamatory, it added.

The Justice S.N. Dhingra Commission, which probed grant of licences for change in land use in four villages of Gurgaon, including licence granted to Skylight Hospitality Private Limited, pointed to irregularities in the grant of licences.

--IANS

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