Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], July 18 : Congress general secretary KC Venugopal on Friday termed Enforcement Directorate's chargesheet against Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's husband, businessman Robert Vadra, as "political vendetta against Congress leaders and Gandhi family".
"Whenever an election is there, ED and other agencies of the Central Government will act on the basis of political vendetta. This is clearly a political vendetta," Venugopal told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram.
"This is an old case, there is nothing new in that. They want to have political vendetta against Congress leaders and Gandhi family," he added.
The ED on Thursday filed a chargesheet against Robert Vadra in connection with a money laundering case related to a 3.53-acre land deal in Shikohpur village in Gurugram, Haryana, in 2008.
The ED also attached 43 immovable properties worth Rs 37.64 crore linked to Vadra and his entities.
Senior Congress leader and former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday accused the Modi government of using the case to defame the Gandhi family.
Gehlot stated that no evidence has been found despite years of investigation, and the chargesheet is merely a political move.
"More than a decade has passed, hundreds of hours of questioning, several appearances before the ED, repeated failed attempts to tarnish the family's image, yet no conspiracy was proven, no evidence was found. Even after all this, nothing could be established against Mr. Vadra, so a chargesheet has been filed just to defame. This clearly exposes the malicious intent of the Modi government," Gehlot said in a post X.
He added that the Gandhi family has always faced such attacks with courage and that the truth will eventually come out.
"The Gandhi family has always faced such politically motivated tactics with strength and resilience and will continue to do so. The entire party and the entire nation stand with them. One day, truth shall prevail," the post reads.
Vadra's office termed the investigation as "nothing more than an extension of the political witch hunt by the present government against him," stating that the businessman is a law-abiding citizen and is cooperating with the authorities.
"Robert Vadra is aware of reports suggesting that the Directorate of Enforcement has filed a Prosecution Complaint naming him as an Accused before the Rouse Avenue Courts, Delhi. As the Court is yet to even take cognisance of the matter, Vadra has not had the opportunity to examine the Prosecution Complaint," said a statement from Vadra's office."
"As a law-abiding Indian citizen, Mr Vadra has always and will continue to extend his fullest cooperation to the authorities and he is confident that at the end of it all, the truth will prevail and he will be cleared of any wrongdoing," it added.