'Powerful' Congress leader sought allotment of Priyanka's bungalow to party MP: Hardeep Singh Puri

Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday said that a 'powerful' Congress leader requested him to allot the government bungalow the Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has to vacate to the party MP so that she could stay on.

"Facts speak for themselves! A powerful Congress leader with much clout in the Party called me on 4 July 2020 at 12:05 pm to request that 35, Lodhi Estate be allotted to another INC MP so that Priyanka Vadra can stay on. Let's not sensationalise everything please," Puri tweeted.

Puri's response came after Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra called as 'FAKE NEWS' a media report claiming that she had sought more time to vacate the bungalow.

She said she will be vacating the government accommodation at 35 Lodhi Estate by August 1.

"This is FAKE NEWS. I have not made any such request to the government. As per the eviction letter handed to me on the 1st of July, I will be vacating the government accommodation at 35 Lodhi Estate by the 1st of August," Vadra tweeted.

Robert Vadra also tweeted and said, "This is completely incorrect and we will vacate the accommodation a week before time."

Earlier in the day, after the comments of Puri, Priyanka reiterated that she will be vacating the house by August 1.

"If someone called you Mr Puri, I thank them for their concern, and thank you for your consideration as well but it still does not change the facts: I have made no such request, and I am making no such request. As I said, I will be vacating the house by the 1st of August as required in the eviction letter," Priyanka Gandhi Vadra tweeted.

Responding again on Priyanka's tweet, Puri said that streak of entitlement and playing victim don't go well together.

"The leader who called me, and many others, is at the very top of the Congress hierarchy...the same political advisor who speaks and acts on your family's behalf. It was when he requested that we decided to give a two-month extension in good faith," Puri tweeted.

"Would only request you to first sort out these issues within your own party before venting in public. Streak of entitlement and playing victim don't go well together," Puri said in a series of tweets.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has been asked to vacate her government accommodation in Delhi by August 1 with a government notice stating that her allotment stands cancelled from July 1.

In a letter to Priyanka Gandhi, the Directorate of Estates under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs asked her to vacate the bungalow on Lodi Road as she no longer has Special Protection Group security.

( With inputs from ANI )