After Smriti Irani, Nirmala Sitharaman targets Rahul Gandhi, Congress over report on Robert Vadra's air tickets

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has questioned Congress silence on a TV channel claim that arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari bought Robert Vadra's air tickets. Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday questioned silence of the Congress leadership on the developments. "Is Congress leadership, by being silent, implying they knew of it?", Nirmala Sitharaman was quoted as saying by ANI on Tuesday. 

Is Congress leadership, by being silent, implying they knew of it?: Nirmala Sitharaman on reports of arms dealer buying Vadra's air tickets pic.twitter.com/cNCYigQfg6

— ANI (@ANI) October 17, 2017

BJP's national spokesperson Sambit Patra dared Congress to file a defamation suit if the party stand by the credibility of Rober Vadra.

Sambit Patra tweeted: If You stand by Credibility of Robert Vadra then file a Defamation suit! If not then Surrender!

I challenge @OfficeOfRG
If You stand by Credibility of Robert Vadra then file a Defamation suit!
If not then Surrender!#RahulJawabDo

— Sambit Patra (@sambitswaraj) October 17, 2017

Earlier, Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani on Monday targeted Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi after a media report claimed that absconding arms agent Sanjay Bhandari had "booked tickets" for his brother-in-law Robert Vadra.

"Eagerly awaiting Rahul ji's poetic explanation for #VadraTicketGate," Irani tweeted.

The minister's tweet came after Times Now channel claimed that "the absconding arms dealer Bhandari (had) booked business-class tickets for Vadra in 2012".

Times Now said Vadra and his lawyers had earlier denied having any links with the absconding arms dealer.

Irani's swipe at Rahul Gandhi, asking for his "poetic explanation", came two days after the Congress leader targeted the government over the Global Hunger Index by citing a poem in a tweet.