As Robert Vadra confronts serious charges of corruption, Rediff.com looks back at a happier time, when the pretty princess of Indian politics had married the little-known businessman from Moradabad.
In a Facebook post Vadra has said that all allegations being levelled against him are baseless.
"Undue favours" to builders, including Robert Vadra's Skylight Hospitality, by the Haryana government during the Congress regime has come under attack from the Comptroller and Auditor General.
Robert Vadra, who is at the centre of a controversy over his property dealings with realty giant DLF and others, began investing in real estate five years ago, in 2007-08.
A high-voltage drama unfolded in Lucknow on Saturday evening as Priyanka Gandhi alleged that she was manhandled by police personnel who grabbed her by the throat and pushed her when she resisted their attempts to stop her from visiting the residence of the retired IPS officer, arrested in connection with the recent anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests.
Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra has triggered a row with his comments suggesting that non-Muslims were attacked in Pahalgam because terrorists feel Muslims are being "mistreated" in the country. The BJP has accused him of using the language of terrorists and demanded an apology. Vadra condemned the Pahalgam terrorist attack but suggested that communal issues and a feeling of vulnerability among minorities are contributing to the violence. He said it is time to separate politics and religion and called for introspection by political parties. Vadra's remarks have been met with strong condemnation from the BJP, which accused him of playing politics on the issue and demanded a clarification from the Congress party. The BJP has also criticized Vadra for justifying the actions of terrorists.
While giving approval to commercially develop land in Gurgaon, the Haryana government considered Robert Vadra's name and status as proof of his company's financial capacity.
The Rajasthan assembly on Tuesday witnessed pandemonium after the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party alleged that government had unduly favoured Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra in land deals in the state.
"Not confessing" to allegations against him does not mean he was not cooperating, Vadra's lawyer said.
Vadra rode a bicycle from his Sujan Singh Park residence to his Sukhdev Vihar office in protest against the rising fuel prices.
Caught in a controversy over allegations that he was favoured by realty major DLF, Robert Vadra has broken his silence saying he can "handle all the negativity" even as Congress and BJP sparred over the issue.
Indian law makes it clear that Sonia and Rahul are not related to Robert Vadra, nor is Sonia a relative of Pandit Nehru.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday demanded an independent and fair probe into the Robert Vadra-DLF land deal and sought immediate sealing of the entire documentary evidence in this matter.
A controversy broke out on Monday over the transfer of a poll observer, an IAS officer, who allegedly ordered the stopping of a motorcycle rally of Congress campaigner and Priyanka Gandhi's husband Robert Vadra on the charge of violating the model code of conduct.
Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law said that he was a political victim but never misused his position or ran away with anyone's money.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a charge sheet against Robert Vadra, husband of Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, in a money laundering case related to a land deal in Haryana's Shikohpur. The ED has also attached properties worth Rs. 37.64 crore linked to Vadra.
Special Judge Arvind Kumar also directed him not to tamper with the evidence or influence witnesses and join the investigation as and when called by the investigating officer.
The agency is expected to give him a fresh date for next week.
Robert Vadra said he has tested positive after he came in contact with someone who was COVID positive.
Vadra was directed by a Delhi court to cooperate with the investigation being carried out by the central probe agency after he knocked on its door seeking anticipatory bail in this case.
Vadra posted the remark on Facebook as the Congress came out in defence of Vadra and accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of practising political vendetta.
Vadra has been questioned multiple times by the federal probe agency in a different money laundering case.
Vadra, in his Facebook post on July 21, had taken a dig at the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government.
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The Bharatiya Janata Party chose not to raise any protests when their demand to raise Robert Vadra's suspect land deals was not considered by Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari. Anita Katyal reports.
Tightening the noose around whistleblower Indian Administrative Service officer Ashok Khemka, the Haryana government has chargesheeted him in connection with cancellation of the mutation of a land deal between Robert Vadra and real estate major DLF in Gurgaon in October last year and accusing him of causing damage to the reputation of Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law.
The ED, it is understood, wants to grill Vadra about the operations of a firm -- Ms Skylight Hospitality Private Limited -- allegedly linked to him, which had purchased land in the area.
The case relates to allegations of money laundering in the purchase of a London-based property -- located at 12, Bryanston Square -- worth 1.9 million pounds, which is allegedly owned by Vadra.
Till now, Vadra, 46, the businessman husband of Priyanka Gandhi, an SPG protectee, was exempted from frisking at airports when he travelled with an SPG protectee.
The BJP had made the land deals a major poll issue in 2014, alleging that Vadra benefited through questionable land use permissions granted by the earlier Congress government in the state.
Notwithstanding Bharatiya Janata Party's assertion there will be no witch-hunt if it comes to power, Uma Bharti has said that Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra will be in jail if the National Democratic Alliance comes to power. Bharti also alleged that Vadra had made money by breaking all norms.
The Rajasthan government had, in January 2015, cancelled the mutations (transfer of land) of 374.44 hectares of land, after the land department claimed to have found that the allotments were made in the names of "illegal private persons".
Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial Narendra Modi on Thursday brought Robert Vadra in the line of fire on controversial land deals, asking Rahul Gandhi whether his brother-in-law would be asked to act as 'chowkidar' (watchman) to guard peoples' land.
The ED said the firm, Ms Skylight Hospitality, has been given two weeks time to furnish financial statements and other documents of the firm to the investigating officer of the case.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday took a dig at the culture of dynastic politics and appeared to target Congress by taking a veiled swipe at Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra who is embroiled in controversies over his land deals.
Various people have admitted -- off the record -- that the BJP had the same 'Vadra File'. Why did the BJP not speak out, asks T V R Shenoy.
The Congress on Wednesday expelled former Madhya Pradesh MLA Laxman Singh, who is brother of ex-chief minister Digvijaya Singh, from the primary membership of the party for six years for 'anti-party activities'.
'In 2014 the BJP built its campaign around 'jija ji' (brother-in-law) and corruption, shouting about Vadra, 2G and coal scams. Yet today, all those cases have quietly been shut. The people are not fools. They can see the reality--that Congress and BJP are in a hidden alliance'
'In the Congress, only those people who suck up to the leadership have value. I am not one of them.'
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