Khemka's stand in Vadra row 'administrative overreach': Tewari

Asks BJP not to stall Parliament over the issue

The Union government today slammed Haryana IAS officer Ashok Khemka for what it described as his "administrative overreach" in the matter of allegations against Robert Vadra in a land deal and asked BJP not to stall Parliament over the issue.

"I don't think when you exercise quasi-judicial authority, you are supposed to call off the principles of natural justice," Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said outside Parliament House.

He was reacting to a question on the positions adopted by Congress on two separate issues: one involving Khemka's controversial report on land deals made by Vadra in Haryana, and the other concerning IAS officer Durga Sakthi Nagpal's action against sand mafia in Uttar Pradesh.

"The principles of natural justice ordain that if at all you decide to pass an order against a particular individual, you give him a right to be heard. You do not pass ex parte orders in clear breach of every propriety of jurisprudence.

"For lack of a better word, it can only be termed an administrative overreach," Tewari said on Khemka's actions against Congress President Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law.

Tewari said that "no attempt was made" by the officer to give "other people a right to even articulate" their point of view.

He also asked the BJP to refrain from "trying every trick" to stall the proceedings of Parliament.

Allegations of dubious land deals effected by Vadra paralysed proceedings in Parliament with Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha witnessing two adjournments following an uproar created by BJP.

"'Congress ka haath, damaad ke saath' (hand of Congress is with the son-in-law)," chanted BJP members, seeking to bring up the Vadra issue in Lok Sabha.