BJP corners Rahul Gandhi over Robert Vadra's alleged tax evasion, seeks reply

BJP has sought answers from the Congress over Robert Vadra's alleged tax evasions.

NEW DELHI: The ruling BJP on Wednesday cornered Congress president Rahul Gandhi over his brother-in-law Robert Vadra's alleged tax evasions and sought replies from him in this regard.

Launching a scathing attack on the Congress chief, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said,''The Income Tax Department has directed Robert Vadra to pay arrears for the year 2010-11. We want to ask Rahul Gandhi that what does he has to say on the Income Tax evasions of Robert Vadra?''

Income Tax has directed Robert Vadra to pay arrears for the year 2010-11. We want to ask Rahul Gandhi that what does he have to say on the Income-Tax evasions of Robert Vadra?: Sambit Patra, BJP pic.twitter.com/bUJDX3C0dJ — ANI (@ANI) June 27, 2018

BJP's mounting attack on Congress chief came a day after news channel Republic TV claimed that the Delhi-based Sky Light Hospitality LLP - a company linked to Robert Vadra - has been ordered to pay a sum of Rs 25.8 crore as tax liability by the Income Tax Department for the assessment year 2010-11.

The channel claimed that as per the I-T order, Sky Light Hospitality had earlier declared its total income for AY 2010-11 to be Rs 36.9 lakh. However, in its notice, the I-T Department re-evaluated the income and concluded that it actually amounts to Rs 42.98 crore, meaning that only about 0.86% of the income was declared.

Accordingly, tax payable by Sky Light on this revised income was calculated to be Rs 25.8 crore.   

In the past too, the ruling BJP had attacked the Gandhi family over Robert Vadra's faulty land deals in Haryana and tax evasions.

The BJP had even questioned the then Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Rahul's “silence” over serious allegations of financial misconduct levelled against Vadra.

The BJP had mounted a massive attack on the Congress on June 25 - the 43rd anniversary of the Emergency imposed by the then PM Indira Gandhi - terming it as 'Black Day' for Indian democracy.

The party also organised a number of events, programmes, speeches to highlight the excesses committed done during the Emergency.

Calling Emergency "The Darkest Period" in India's history, the BJP went all out in ensuring that the link between the 'Emergency' imposed by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Congress is not missed by the masses. 

Congress, in response, called Prime Minister Narendra Modi "even more cruel than Aurangzeb" and said that the BJP was trying to gain political mileage out of the Emergency.

(With Agency inputs)