Headlines
Congress, AAP up ante on Swaraj's Lalit Modi links
New Delhi, June 15
The opposition Congress and
Aam Aadmi Party on Monday upped the ante on External Affairs Minister
Sushma Swaraj's alleged links with former IPL chief Lalit Modi, with the
Congress reiterating its demand that she should resign.
Continuing
its attack on Sushma Swaraj for "helping" Modi - who was served an
Enforcement Directorate notice for alleged financial impropriety - to
procure documents to travel to Portugal, the Congress termed her excuses
on the issue "totally bogus".
"The way Sushma Swaraj has gone
about the issue, it is not in the national interest. Her excuses are
totally bogus and do not stand the scrutiny of facts. As per the
Portuguese law, there is no requirement to obtain signatures of a man
for surgical operations (on his spouse)," Congress leader P.L. Punia
told reporters here.
The Congress spokesperson also alleged a
"quid pro quo" between Sushma Swaraj and Modi, who has been living in
London since 2010.
"There are circumstances which establish
contact between Sushma Swaraj and Lalit Modi. As a quid pro quo, Sushma
Swaraj has extended a favour to a tainted person who is accused of money
laundering and tax evasion of Rs.700 crore and several other charges,"
Punia said.
The Congress leader said the then government of India
(UPA government headed by Manmohan Singh) had asked Britain not to
allow Modi to travel abroad.
"Lalit Modi was provided special
favours and within 24 hours, the former IPL chief was given clearance to
travel abroad (to Portugal last year)," he said.
The Congress spokesperson also alleged that the family of Sushma Swaraj had had a long association with Lalit Modi.
The
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) demanded that Sushma Swaraj clear the air on the
assistance provided to Lalit Modi in securing documents to travel to
Portugal in July last year for the treatment of his cancer-stricken
wife.
"We are not demanding her resignation, but she should clear
the air on the matter in public," Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Kumar
Vishwas said.
He also said that such a decision could not have
been taken without consulting the Prime Minister's Office and "if not,
she should clarify this point as well".
The controversy was
triggered after Britain's Sunday Times reported an email exchange
between influential Labour MP Keith Vaz and UK Visas and Immigration
head Sarah Rapson, citing Sushma Swaraj, to facilitate travel documents
for Lalit Modi, a former head of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Sushma Swaraj on Sunday said she helped Modi on "humanitarian grounds".
The
Youth Congress also protested near Sushma Swaraj's Safdarjung Lane
residence, as security personnel had put up barricades on the road
leading to her house. She was not at home at the time.
Holding
placards and banners criticising Sushma Swaraj, the demonstrators raised
slogans and demanded her resignation. Some of the protesters even
climbed atop the iron barricades.