By IANS
NEW DELHI: Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s husband Robert Vadra has opened up on his desire to enter politics and contest elections after being subjected to grilling by the Income tax department.
Vadra alleged that he was subjected to such treatment because he is related to a prominent political family.
Speaking to IANS in New Delhi on Thursday at his Sukhdev Vihar office, Vadra said, “I am related to a family that has for generations served the people of this country and have even been martyred for the country. I have seen, learnt, campaigned, spent time in different parts of the country and I suppose to fight this kind of dynamic I have to be in Parliament.”
He said “Obviously now I do feel I have fought this outside for far too long. I have explained myself, cleared myself but this is constant that they trouble me now as I am not in politics. I always kept away from politics because I have my set beliefs.”
Vadra said he will take the decision at an appropriate time. “When I see a place where people will vote me to represent them and I can make a difference for people in that area and if my family approves of it,” he said.
He said that the entire family supports him specially Priyanka on his decisions.
“Priyanka is always supportive. I am talking about the entire family and when they approve of it, I can be in politics and fight my issues in political arena.”
Vadra has campaigned in elections in Raebareli and Amethi and hoardings came up in Moradabad in his support as he claimed he has spent his childhood in that place and people want him to be there.
He insisted that he is fighting the political battle without being in politics and he was used each time as a “punching bag” whenever the government is in a bind.
While he rejects the accusation of ‘benami’ property. “These are just rumours and there is nothing against me, there is no basis on which they can say anything like this, they have no clarity on it,” Vadra added.
He said that he is a part of a political family and so he has to deal with the other parties. “They too talk about me and people of the country and journalists are interested and want to know our comments.”
He said all this is “to divert attention from the real issues that government has to face each time. So now the timing is the Covid era, there are economic issues of farmers sitting on protest, committing suicide and you think that we must send some kind of agencies to come and ask me the same kind of questions which I have already answered.”
“So when there are issues which the government does not want to answer so they think lets divert the issue and put the spotlight on somebody else.”
He defended himself and claimed that all these accusations had been cleared by the courts.
“I have been cleared by various agencies but every time the timing is significant. I don’t say it but everyone says that whenever there are problems I am targeted.”
Vadra have been at the centre of various controversies and the most recent is the issue of ‘benami’ property which he has rejected.
While he personally endorses Rahul Gandhi, saying he has all the potential to lead the Congress party but it is the party which has to decide.
“The Congress party is a democratic party, everybody has a voice if the party feels he has potential they will elect him as President,” he said on being asked about Rahul coming back as party chief.
On Priyanka Gandhi, he said she is doing her work honestly and people of the country will want her to be more active at the national level. He said that she must be given more time to prove her mettle.
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