The BJP on Thursday levelled fresh allegations against Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and her husband Robert Vadra, accusing them of being linked to an alleged attempt to take control of a four-acre land parcel in Uttarakhand, where a 90-year-old woman has reportedly been facing threats to vacate the property.
There was no immediate response from the Congress, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra or Robert Vadra regarding the allegations.
Speaking at a press conference in New Delhi, BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari alleged that the Gandhi-Vadra family's primary business was not politics but "grabbing people's land".
According to Bhandari, the disputed four-acre property is located in Kichha in Uttarakhand's Udham Singh Nagar district and is being sought by Robert Vadra's sister, Saira Vadra. He said the original lease of the land was issued in the name of the late Kulsum Khan, while the property is presently occupied by her 90-year-old sister, Nasreen Khan.
Bhandari further alleged that Congress MLA from Kichha Tilak Raj Behar visited the property late on Wednesday night along with nearly 100 supporters and threatened Nasreen Khan with serious consequences if she refused to vacate the land.
He claimed that Congress leaders resort to intimidating occupants after failing to secure possession through legal means.
"When they realise that Saira Vadra cannot get possession of the land through the legal route, they intimidate the occupant. She (Saira Vadra) becomes the front, while Priyanka Vadra and Robert Vadra are behind her," the BJP leader claimed.
Citing what he described as Nasreen Khan's own account, Bhandari said the elderly woman had accused Congress workers of attempting to facilitate the transfer of the property to the Vadra family.
"The buck does not stop with the Congress MLA. The buck stops with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra," Bhandari charged.
Raising questions over Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's alleged role in the episode, Bhandari asked, "Did Priyanka Gandhi Vadra call the Congress MLA and ask him to ensure that her sister-in-law gets possession of the land by intimidating a 90-year-old Muslim woman?"
He also described the episode as an example of the alleged "Gandhi-Vadra model" of land-grabbing and cited previous cases involving Robert Vadra to argue that such transactions followed a recurring pattern.
"Congress claims to stand with Muslims and the poor. Yet, according to the allegations before us, a 90-year-old Muslim woman is threatened to vacate her land," he said.
"The people of the country should understand that if the Gandhi-Vadra family sets its sights on a piece of land, they allegedly send people repeatedly to intimidate the occupant until the land is vacated," Bhandari claimed.
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