Stand by my family, says Priyanka as ED grills Vadra

New Delhi, Feb 6 (IANS) Sending out a strong message to the political opponents, newly appointed Congress General Secretary, Priyanka Gandhi, on Wednesday backed her husband Robert Vadra and accompanied him to the office of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) here which quizzed the controversial businessman in a money laundering case.

Making her first public appearance after being appointed as the Congress' General Secretary in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh, she accompanied her husband in a SUV to the agency office in Jamnagar House at the mouth of the India Gate circle.

Both hugged and planted kisses on each other's cheek before Vadra came out of the car and headed for the ED office where he was grilled for several hours in connection with a case relating to the ownership of 1.9 million pounds of undisclosed assets abroad, allegedly belonging to him.

From there, she drove straight to 10-Janpath residence of her mother Sonia Gandhi and then walked over to the neighbouring AICC headquarters where she spent some time inside her office and met party workers.

"He is my husband, he is my family...I support my family," Priyanka replied as mediapersons piled questions asking if the ED action was a political vendetta by the Centre's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

"I stand by my family," she added while leaving the office.

Vadra's aide Jagdish Sharma alleged that the BJP government was carrying out a political vendetta against the son-in-law of the Gandhi family.

Besides the Congress accusing the Modi government of "political vendetta", Vadra had earlier alleged "unceasing political witch-hunt" over the probe by the central agency.

The BJP has been attacking Vadra, Priyanka, the fifth generation member of the Nehru-Gandhi family, and the Congress over the cases allegedly involving him. The BJP is expected to step up attack on the "dynasty" politics of the Congress as campaign picks up in the coming Lok Sabha elections.

Priyanka is also slated to attend a meeting of party's general secretaries chaired by Congress President and brother Rahul Gandhi on Thursday at the Congress headquarters where the roadmap and strategies for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections are expected to be discussed.

After the Thursday's meeting, Rahul Gandhi will hold talks with state chiefs and other office-bearers on Saturday where plans and approach for the Lok Sabha polls for respective states will be chalked out.

These will then be finalised at the at the Congress Working Committee meeting slated later in February.

Meanwhile, the BJP continued to attack the Congress, with party spokesperson Sambit Patra calling the Gandhi family "bail parivar" whose foundation was "built on corruption".