New Delhi/Rae Bareli, April 27 (IANS) The verbal spat between the Congress and the BJP grew more strident Sunday with the BJP's allegations of "corruption under patronage" in land deals of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra evoked a spirited response from his wife Priyanka Gandhi, who accused the party of "running like bewildered rats".
Priyanka Gandhi's forceful counter-offensive in which she also spoke about not being intimidated by BJP's attacks and "lies" and her determination to continue speaking against its "destructive" politics spurred similar reactions from Congress spokespersons who dismissed allegations against Vadra.
Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ravi Shankar Prasad launched one of his party's fiercest attacks on the Gandhi family, accusing Vadra of making "unscrupulous" land deals and seeking answers from Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi on the issue.
Prasad told a press conference in New Delhi that the Gandhis should explain the "Robert Vadra model of development" when "there is so much unemployment and economy was down".
"It is a text book case of corruption, crony capitalism under patronage," he said.
Terming Vadra as "damad shri (honoured son-in-law)", Prasad claimed land acquisitions by Vadra's firms had flouted several laws, including the Land Acquisition Act in Congress-ruled Haryana and in Rajasthan where the party was earlier in power.
The BJP released a video and a six-page booklet - "Damad shree the Vadra 'get-rich-quick' model" - on Vadra's land deals.
The video made repeated attacks at Vadra and said the people will not forgive the Congress in the Lok Sabha election. The booklet posed several queries to Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi on Vadra's land deals and asked them to come clean.
The video said while there were cases of "bhai bhatijavad (nepotism)", Vadra had added a new tradition of "damadvad (son-in-law favouritism)".
The BJP said the booklet will be distributed in different parts of the country.
Prasad said if an investigation is carried out, there will be criminal cases against Vadra.
"He (Vadra) made huge profit of Rs.300 crore in a few years from an intitial investment of Rs.1 lakh," he alleged.
Congress spokespersons Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Randeep Surjewala and general secretary Ajay Maken refuted the BJP's allegations, but it was Priyanka Gandhi, who in Rae Bareli came out all guns blazing against the BJP and said she will not stay quiet.
She accused the BJP of unecessarily defaming her husband and said the opposition represented "destructive, negative" politics.
"They are behaving like bewildered rats. I knew they would resort to spreading lies a few days before polls," she told media persons in the constituency where her mother Sonia Gandhi is contesting.
"Let them do more such smear campaigns. I will not keep quiet. I will keep raising my voice against their negative, destructive and shameful politics," she said after an election rally.
"Let them attack more. I will not remain quiet," she said.
In her addresses, she targeted BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, saying his party represented a kind of politics which aimed at concentrating power in one person, while in an indirect jibe at Modi, quipped India does not need a "56-inch chest" for good governance.
Maken said the allegations levelled by the BJP were "old and baseless" and had been regurgitated during election time "as a cheap political stunt."
The BJP's attack Sunday came amid concerted Congress criticism of Modi over his Gujarat model of development, and two days ahead of the April 30 polling for 89 Lok Sabha seats, including all 26 seats in Gujarat.
Sonakshi Sinha: 'Dahad' fame Sonakshi Sinha reveals why she did supporting roles at the beginning of her career.
Sonakshi Sinha started her career in Bollywood in the year 2010 with Salman Khan\'s film Dabangg. Although in the early days of his career, he chose male-oriented films, in which the role of women was
QS World University Rankings 2022: IISc Bangalore again the best in the country, also won the title of the emerging institution in South Asia
The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore has once again been adjudged the best in the country and the emerging institute in South Asia. IIT Bombay is second and IIT Delhi is third in the
Delhi is the most colder than the city Shimla, Mussoorie and London.
On Monday Delhi fogged out, when the minimum temperature plunged to a season's low of 4.2 degrees Celsius, Delhi was colder than hill stations such as Mussoorie and Shimla. It was chillier than even
Will rape stop in Pakistan by making rapists impotent
The Central Government Cabinet meeting led by Prime Minister Imran Khan approved the punishment for being castrated for rape. But can strict punishment or law protect women from rape?
Swine flu deaths cross 250 mark in Rajasthan
Jaipur, Feb 26 (IANS) The swine flu epidemic continued to rage in Rajasthan with six more deaths reported Thursday taking the total death toll over the 250 mark since the start of this year, an
Maharashtra Election: With whom and on how many seats will Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena contest in Maharashtra, Sanjay Raut said- 'By this evening...'
Shiv Sena-UBT MP Sanjay Raut has given a big statement regarding seat sharing in Mahavikas Aghadi regarding Maharashtra assembly elections. He has said that it does not matter how many we will
Today Supreme Court hear Jayalalithaa bail plea
A chief justice of India H.L Dattu had on October 17, granted Ms. Jayalalithaa bail, reposing faith in the oral assurances of her lawyer, fali nariman that she would not delay the criminal appeal
The report claims: the public may feel the shock of inflation, possible increase in the price of petrol and diesel.
Petrol prices have shocked the people. The higher the use of petrol and diesel in the country, the higher the price. Now a report by Credit Suisse claimed that people may face another setback in the
Islamabad becomes battleground: Independence march ends after the violence, Imran returned after giving 6 days ultimatum to Shahbaz government
Political upheaval has started once again in Pakistan. Meanwhile, Imran Khan has returned after giving a 6-day ultimatum to the Shahbaz government to announce the elections. He said that the
Now attack Nawaz's office: More than 20 attackers reached former PM's London office, 5 injured in the fight; Was killed by throwing mobile yesterday
The UK office of Nawaz Sharif, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan and the founder of the Pakistan Muslim League (N) has been attacked. More than 20 attackers were involved in the incident. Which
