December 14, 2024 03:46 (IST)
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Lalit Modi row: BJP backs Sushma, Congress derides her
New Delhi, June 16 (IBNS): While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is backing Sushma Swaraj, the Congress party on Tuesday mocked the Foreign Minister's defence of her action of helping former Indian Premier League (IPL) commissioner Lalit Modi on humanitarian ground as a "tearjerker."
Holding that the Government of India's request (officially) was to not allow Lalit Modi to move out of the UK, Congress leader Anand Sharma said: "Tearjerkers that this was done on Humanitarian Grounds is a false claim by the External Affairs Minister," Congress leader Anand Sharma said at a press conference here.
Sharma said that despite facing serious allegations and Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe, Lalit Modi was holidaying in different countries.
"There was no invasive surgery, for this emergency request for travel document was made. Lalit Modi was holidaying in a place called Ibiza, when the passport was restored. But the Indian government did not appeal," Sharma said.
"This person for whom a Humanitarian Empathy was invoked was holidaying in various countries- despite declaring bankruptcy," Sharma said taking a dig at Swaraj.
The Oppositions also targetted the Narendra Modi government for protecting Lalit Modi.
"Can there be one set of rule for UPA Ministers? Narendra Modi himself pressed for resignations, even if there was a shadow. Why is the Government protecting him? The PM has to speak," he said.
Sharma also demanded a thorough investigation into the matter.
Slamming Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh for saying that what Swaraj did was right, Sharma said, "Rajnath Singh is the Home Minister, he has all the intelligence inputs for all illegal offenders, instead he is endorsing External Affairs Minister."
Taking a dig at the Enforcement Directorate, the Congress leader said, "What has the ED and other agencies done since 26 May 2014, to apprehend Lalit Modi?"
"External Affairs Minister did what was unwarranted, others also can be accused of protecting Lalit Modi and dereliction of duty. The Foreign Secy and other secretaries who actually minute all this, were kept in the loop. Why?," he asked.
He accused the government of protecting "a wanted offender."
Insisting PM Modi to speak up on the matter, Sharma said, "We have to ask PM Modi directly, why is he quiet? Can there be different set of rules when you talk of probity?"
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is accusing the Congress of making an issue of nothing.
“They (Congress) are bereft of ideas. They want to make a non-issue an issue which will never become an issue... it shows the complete bankruptcy of Congress,” Union minister Prakash Javadekar told reporters.
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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