"Politically motivated" Dhingra panel report aimed at defaming Congress: Kharge

The one-man commission set up by the Manohar Lal Khattar-led BJP Government in Haryana to investigate land deals in Gurgaon has hinted at irregularities.

Bengaluru: Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, on Thursday questioned the Justice Dhingra Commission report and said that it was an attempt to defame the Congress Party.

"He (Justice Dhingra) said that he would not reveal any details about the report. He said that it is up to the state government to public the report. So, how there is a leak of the report? All this is happening just to defame the Congress Party. It is similar to that of hit-and-run of a person," Kharge told ANI here.

"Why is he not publicising the content of the report? This is nothing but a conspiracy to defame the Congress and its people who think about the welfare of the party. It is all politically motivated," he added.

The one-man commission set up by the Manohar Lal Khattar-led BJP Government in Haryana to investigate land deals in Gurgaon signed under the state`s erstwhile Congress administration (2005-2014) has hinted at irregularities.

One of the deals in question involved a firm owned by Congress president Sonia Gandhi`s son-in-law Robert Vadra.

Retired High Court judge SN Dhingra, who conducted the inquiry, submitted his 182-page report to the Haryana Government yesterday.

"If there were no irregularities, there were no reasons for me to write a 182-page report. I would have finished with a one-line statement," he told the media later.

Dhingra said that his report consists of complete details of irregularities in granting licences, the manner in which irregularities were committed and the persons involved.

"I have named each and every person involved, including government (employees) and private individuals," he added.

When asked if he had found the same irregularities in the Vadra-DLF deal as pointed out by the CAG, Dhingra said that his report was more comprehensive.

He added that he did not summon whistleblower Ashok Khemka because he had not felt it necessary.

Khemka had cancelled the DLF-Skylight deal in 2012 after pointing out irregularities.

Khattar on his part said that there was "no question" of sparing anyone indicted in Dhingra`s report.

Vadra`s lawyer Suman Khaitan, however, yesterday claimed that the businessman had done no wrong and that neither he nor his representatives had been summoned by the Dhingra panel.