December 14, 2024 03:38 (IST)
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Lalit Modi is symbol of black money, PM Modi should sack Sushma Swaraj: Rahul Gandhi
New Delhi, June 16 (IBNS): The Congress party led by its Vice President Rahul Gandhi has upped its pressure demanding the Narendra Modi government to sack Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj from her post for helping former Indian Premier League (IPL) commissioner Lalit Modi gain emergency travel papers in Britain.
Rahul, who is presently in Chhattisgarh, targetted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the issue.
"There's only one man running this country and the Govt-that's Mr Narendra Modi.Mr Narendra Modi should stop protecting Mr Lalit Modi," Rahul said in Chhattisgarh on Monday.
Attacking PM Modi further, he said, "Mr Lalit Modi is a symbol of Black Money.Mr Modi is standing behind Mr Modi. Who's Sushma Swarajji?She means nothing in this Govt."
Rahul demanded that the Centre should sack Sushma Swaraj.
"It is not a question of Sushma ji resigning, PM Modiji should sack Sushma Swaraj ji from the Govt," said the Congress Vice President.
In fact, all opposition parties have mounted up pressure on the Modi government to sack Sushma Swaraj if she does not resign herself after the External Affairs Minister has been caught up in a huge controversy over helping helping Lalit Modi, who is accused of financial irregularities in the game, procure travel documents in the UK last year.
The External Affairs Minister on Sunday defended herself and said she helped convey his request to the British envoy 'taking a humanitarian view.'
In a series of tweets, Swaraj had said, "Sometime in July 2014 Lalit Modi spoke to me that his wife was suffering from Cancer and her surgery was fixed for 4th Aug in Portugal. He told me that he had to be present in the Hospital to sign the consent papers. He informed me that he had applied for travel documents in London and UK Government was prepared to give him the travel documents."
She had wrote: "However, they were restrained by a UPA Government communication that this will spoil Indo-UK relations. Taking a humanitarian view, I conveyed to the British High Commissioner that 'British Government should examine the request of Lalit Modi as per British rules and regulations."
"If the British Government chooses to give travel documents to Lalit Modi, that will not spoil our bilateral relations. Keith Vaz also spoke to me and I told him precisely what I told the British High Commissioner. I genuinely believe that in a situation such as this, giving emergency travel documents to an Indian citizen cannot and should not spoil relations between the two countries," she had said.
Lalit Modi has been in the UK since 2010 when the India Premier League was caught in a huge controversy over an alleged betting scandal.
Lalit Modi's passport was revoked in March that year.
However, Lalit Modi was given a visa after Indian-origin British MP Keith Vaz recommended his name.
According to the British media, Vaz said Swaraj had pressurised UK's top immigration official to grant British travel papers to Lalit Modi.
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