UPA allies smug with Gandhi family on backfoot over Vadra

DMK and NCP leaders are apparently delighted that Congress has lost the moral high ground

The recent controversy surrounding Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra which has rattled the Congress top brass, has however left the UPA allies quite smug. Senior Congress leaders including its Cabinet ministers have been going all out to dismiss the allegations leveled against Vadra by India against Corruption (IAC) as 'baseless and motivated'. UPA allies DMK and NCP leaders however are delighted at the fact that now the Congress’ first family and its financial dealings is under scrutiny and the Congress has lost the moral high ground. Till now, both allies were on the backfoot as the Karunanidhi clan and the Pawar clan had been connected with scams such as the 2G and the irrigation scam.

 

DMK patriarch Karunanidhi’s daughter Kanimozhi was booked and even jailed in connection with the 2G scam while his nephew Dayanidhi Maran also had to quit the Cabinet for his alleged misdoings while he was Telecom minister. NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s nephew Ajit Pawar, quit recently as Deputy chief minister of Maharashtra as allegations were raised over his role in the irrigation scam.

Opposition BJP’s attack against the Congress and its demands for an inquiry into the dealings of the first family’s son-in law, was on expected lines, but what is likely to hurt the Congress the most, is the animosity of its allies. 

With Robert Vadra’s businesses and its financial dealings under the spotlight, the allies seem to sense an opportunity to settle scores with the Congress led UPA.  

A senior NCP leader who did not want to be quoted speaking to Business Standard said, “The Robert Vadra incident is absolutely indefensible. It’s the hypocrisy of the Congress party that all its ministers are out to defend a “private citizen.” It’s for the first time in UPA that the Gandhi family has been attacked, the shoe is now on the other foot.”

Publicly however the NCP continues to back the UPA with NCP supremo Sharad Pawar even saying, “Of late, this is becoming a trend that anyone levels allegations, then keeps mum and later asks the government to conduct a judicial probe. But in such cases, anyone can approach court. (Arvind) Kejriwal can also go to court.”
 
Southern ally DMK has also been seething. A senior DMK leader who spoke to Business Standard said, “Why is there no action now against Vadra. What Kanimozhi had done was similar, she too took an interest free loan, but look what she had to face, even went to jail for it. And Vadra in his rebuttal has not even refuted the charges, just termed them baseless.” 

The DMK till now has kept mum on the whole controversy letting the Congress fight its own battle. The party had been forced on the backfoot as its ministers A Raja and Dayanidhi Maran were booked in the 2G scam and the UPA coalition faced attack from all sides. As another NCP leader summed it up, “We are absolutely delighted at the developments. More such incidents should tumble out to bring the Congress on the mat.”