BJP Demands CBI Probe Into Vadra Land Deals
BJP today alleged there was government connivance in the reported anomalies in land deals by Congress President Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra in Rajasthan and demanded a court-monitored CBI inquiry into the matter.

"These land deals show a new PPP model. It is P-4 which stands for Public Policy for Private Profit... This is not just a private dealing of a private individual. This is much beyond," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar told reporters.

He charged the UPA government with coming out with a plan to establish solar plants in Bikaner district of Rajasthan and giving licenses to 722 people with a promise from the state government that land will be provided at cheap rates and then backing out.

"But then the state government did a U-turn and said land cannot be provided cheap as it belongs to Robert Vadra... This has resulted in a windfall for Vadra," Javadekar said.

Flanked by BJP MPs Arjun Meghwal and V P Singh Badnor from Rajasthan, Javadekar said his party demands a court-monitored CBI inquiry into the matter.

BJP raised this issue in both Houses of Parliament today and did not allow it to function.

The main opposition alleged Vadra and his mother Maureen floated 12 companies which had secured loans and bought the properties.

"This is a curious model and a new practice where the owner gives unsecured loans to the buyer with which the company purchases the land. The same firm then pays a hefty cheque to the buyer for a buy-back," Javadekar said.

Meghwal alleged Vadra gave power of attorney to one Mahesh Nagar to do the land deals. Properties were bought for as low as Rs 20,000- Rs 30,000 per bigha and were now being sold for Rs 5 Lakh and above, he claimed.

Meghwal alleged the Land Ceiling Act which has been in force since 1973 has been flouted in these land deals.

He said an exemption can be given only after the cabinet gives a clearance.

Badnor said, "Rules were changed retrospectively to benefit Vadra...Some of the companies which bought this land were registered in one day and their source of income was not checked."

BJP pointed out that land near the power grids was bought as this would help in setting up solar power plants which would use the present network of power distribution.

Badnor maintained this whole issue began after June 30, 2008 when the Prime Minister announced the Jawaharlal Nehru Solar Mission under which solar power plants were to be set up.

Javadekar alleged Vadra was earlier involved in a land scam in Haryana in which agricultural land was changed to a township by the Accountant General to set up the Rajiv Gandhi Trust.

Asked why BJP was silent on this issue all along as this appears to be an old case, he said, "We did not raise this issue earlier as we were raising the coal issue then. We welcome the Supreme Court decision today to monitor the coal scam probe."

Emerging story. Watch this space for updates as more details come in
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