A political uproar erupted on Sunday over Congress chief Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law and businessman Robert Vadra’s misdemeanour with a TV journalist late on Saturday. Vadra had asked his security men to delete the footage of his angry outburst at the reporter. In the midst of all-round condemnation of Vadra’s behaviour, the Congress rushed to his rescue and Sonia Gandhi reportedly met her son-in-law at his residence on Sunday.
Vadra had lost his cool and reportedly pushed aside the microphone of a reporter at a five-star hotel gym when he was quizzed about his controversial land deals in Haryana. A livid Vadra was seen on a video footage, shown on TV channels, asking the reporter four times as to whether he was serious about his land deal question. Then he abruptly pushed way the microphone and asked his security to delete the footage captured by the reporter.
The BJP attacked Vadra saying his “inappropriate” behaviour towards a journalist was a result of frustration and he must realise that the country is no longer ruled by the Gandhi family. The Congress downplayed the incident.“It was the sheer frustration of Robert Vadra that became manifested as an inappropriate behaviour towards a journalist. Vadra was the one who had called India a banana republic and we Indians as mango people but it is time that we make him realise that India is no more a banana republic which was ruled by the first family of the Congress,” BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said.
Defending Vadra, Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh said he was amazed by the media attention given to a “minor incident.”
“Why (is) a private citizen being unnecessarily houndedIJ,” he tweeted. “If he has violated any law, prosecute him. If (he) has ill gotten wealth, confiscate it, but this unnecessary media attention is not justified,” he posted in another tweet.
Asking the media not to target him, he said, “We politicians are feeling jealous of the media attention which Robert is getting. We are the real punching bags for you. Spare him!”
However, BJP spokesman Shahnawaz Hussain countered Singh questioning if Vadra is a private person he should not have got privileges. “Vadra is not a private person. If he had been a private person then he would not have got the privileges in Haryana, neither he would have got privileges at airport. He considers himself to be a very special person. According to Digvijay Singh, he is a private person. But his behaviour does not show that he is a private person,” Hussain said.
Commenting on the incident, CPI leader D Raja said it was an “unacceptable conduct” and that it should be seen how the I&B Ministry will take up the issue.The Congress also said that “repeated hounding” of an individual is “not appropriate” and advised the media to avoid “unpleasantness” of shooting questions at private functions.
Taking a step further, the party also highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s brush with the media and said the entire episode is being propagated as a “political agenda for obvious reasons” which cannot be considered either fair or proper.
“Indian Constitution and our established ethos guarantee Right of Privacy, personal space and liberty to all individuals, more so, when a person is neither in public life nor holds any public office.
“Unpleasantness of repeatedly asking questions at private functions, like what happened with Robert Vadra, must be avoided at all times,” AICC spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said.
He said that “repetitive hounding” of an individual on an issue that has been “conclusively rejected both by a Constitutional body like Election Commission of India as also High Courts and finally the Supreme Court of India is not appropriate”.