Robert Vadra acting as 'Congress president' in Rahul Gandhi's absence, says BJP

Congress president Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra slammed the Narendra Modi government on Monday in a social media post after petrol pump owners said that they would not accept card payments. He blamed the government for being desperate to "overcome the initial blunder it created" by imposing demonetisation. The Bharatiya Janata Party also responded to Vadra's criticism by deflecting from answering his questions.

Also read: Banks asked to obtain PAN or Form 60 of all bank accounts

"The Govt seems to have reached its levels of desperation to overcome the initial blunder it created, through the unplanned and unthought process of demonetisation. First government offered sops to push people to use Debit/Credit cards, and when people started using more of cashless means, now lack of coordination with banks and their policies is forcing petrol pump owners to adopt these drastic steps..what was the whole meaning to offer 0.75 percent discount and then the banks start charging MDR 1% from petrol pumps? I don't see any rational, do you?" Vadra wrote on Facebook.

Petrol pump owners had earlier said that in protest against Reserve Bank of India's decision to levy extra charge on card transactions, they would stop accepting debit and credit card payments. However, the protest has been deferred to January 13.

Let me make it clear that customers will not be levied with any surcharge. Petrol Pumps were worried that the surcharge will be upon their heads, but let me assure them that it will not befall on them as well. Oil marketing companies and banks are in talks and the former has given an incentive to increase digital transactions," Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan told ANI.

Meanwhile, BJP leaders Kiren Rijiju and Sambit Patra criticised Vadra for making the comment.

Robert Vadra is becoming a strong voice for Congress but people of India trust Narendra Modi and BJP. Robert Vadra warned that he will enter politics if necessary but he is already voice of Congress," said Rijiju.