Probity will eliminate negativism: BJP to PM

Drawing parallels between the Bofors scandal and the charges levelled by activist Arvind Kejriwal against Congress president Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra, the BJP on Thursday appeared to be defending "whistleblower" Kejriwal reminding that it was the government's duty to investigate the charges. It also demanded a time-bound probe.

"The issue of Robert Vadra is a reminder of the Bofors moment of the Congress. Then too there was highly politically connected Quattrocchi, as is in this case," said BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad.

Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley sought to turn tables against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh suggesting that he should have "honestly introspected" instead of lamenting the "mindless environment of negativism" in the country. "Yes, the PM is right when he says there is an environment of cynicism or negativism...Banish corruption, investigate corruption cases honestly and punish the corrupt — that will create a more positive environment...Popular anger has emerged because of lack of accountability. Probity and accountability alone will eliminate this negativism," Jaitley said in a statement.

He too said that it was the responsibility of the government to investigate and not that of whistleblowers. While Jaitley did not mention Kejriwal, he made it amply clear in his attack on Vadra and by dwelling at length about the "indefensible commercial transactions of a member of the Congress party's first family". Lamenting the way Congress ministers have "jumped to defend" Vadra, he took a dig at the ruling party saying that the controversy is being used by ministers to "display loyalty rather than to enforce probity".

Chautala wants judicial probe into Vadra's land

CHANDIGARH: Waving alleged revenue documents of purchases made by Robert Vadra at much less rates than the collector rate at Shakarpuri in Mewat, INLD chief Om Prakash Chautala on Thursday demanded a judicial probe into all land purchases made by Vadra in Haryana. He alleged that Congress MLA from Nuh, Aftab Ahmed, had got a party ticket for selling his land to Vadra, and in lieu of the same, Ahmed's ancestral land was included in the revised Gurgaon Master Plan. Chautala alleged that Real Earth Estate Pvt Ltd — owned by Vadra — purchased 29 acres of land in Mewat at a price of Rs 71 lakh while the collector rate of the land was fixed at Rs 4.5 crore. He said the market price of the land at the time of purchase was over Rs 14 crore. ENS

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