New Delhi: The Broadcast Editors' Association on Sunday demanded an apology from Robert Vadra for his spat with a journalist asking questions about his controversial land deals in Haryana, saying he has "crossed all boundaries of behavioural decency".
BEA's General Secretary N K Singh refuted claims made by Congress, which has vigorously defended Vadra, that it was a private event where the incident occurred and said reporters were invited to cover the function at a gym.
"BEA expects of Vadra that he tender apology for what he has done," Singh said.
Noting that Vadra was answering questions posed by the same reporter in a "very comfortable way" as long as they were about the gym, he said his behaviour took a U-turn when queries turned towards the new BJP government in Haryana and his controversial land deals.
"He crossed all the boundaries of behavioural decency. Shoving camera and calling reporter idiot and nuts only shows that he has scant regard for democratic institutions," he said.
This was a serious behavioural lapse on the part of Vadra who is none other than son-in-law of one of the most powerful political families of the country, Singh said. Vadra is Congress President Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law.
Vadra's clarification that he mistook the reporter for a private cameraman was an "afterthought", he said.
