In a relief to Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s daughter Priyanka Vadra, the Himachal Pradesh High Court has ruled that she need not reveal land details or house plans under any RTI query. Ms. Vadra is building a house at Chharabara in Mashobara, about 13 km from Shimla.
Justice Trilok Chauhan dismissed the application of RTI activist Debashish Bhatacharya seeking information on Ms. Vandra land and called it misconceived. Ms. Vadra is an SPG protectee.
Mr. Bhatacharya had sought information from the State Information Commission regarding the permission given to Ms. Vadra under Section 118 of the Himachal Land Reform and Tenancy Act. The Information Commission had ordered the district administration to provide the information under the RTI and had ignored the stay given by the court. Later the Information Commissioners had to seek an apology from the court after their order was declared as contempt of court. Ms. Vadra moved the High Court against the orders of the Information Commission.
In its verdict, the court said the RTI activist had no requirement of the information on the land records of Ms. Vadra in Mashobara.
Letter to RajnathLast month, former State BJP president and Shimla MLA Suresh Bhardwaj wrote a letter to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh seeking withdrawal of building permission to Ms. Vadra, claiming the construction was in close proximity of the “Retreat” (the Shimla summer residence of the President), citing security reasons.
