Headlines
Congress questions Jaitley's 'clean chit' to Raje's son
New Delhi, June 22
The Congress on Monday
accused External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief
Minister Vasundhara Raje of violating central laws in their dealings
with former IPL chief Lalit Modi and questioned Finance Minister Arun
Jaitley's "clean chit" to Raje's son.
The party asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "break his silence" and posed five questions to him.
Addressing
a press conference here, former union minister Jairam Ramesh and
Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said Sushma Swaraj and Vasundhara Raje
violated the Prevention of Corruption Act, Prevention of Money
Laundering Act, Foreign Exchange Management Act and the Passport Act.
Finance
Minister Arun Jaitley's statement in the US that the financial dealings
between Raje's son Dushyant Singh and Lalit Modi were "commercial
transactions" would influence the Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe
into the matter, said Azad, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha.
"Why is the finance minister giving a clean chit to Raje, her son and Lalit Modi? It is very surprising," Azad said.
"We are convinced that the ED probe is going to be a whitewash," the Congress said.
Taking
a dig at the prime minister for his silence on the issue, Jairam Ramesh
said: "The PM should break his 'maun vrat' and do some 'Mann ki Baat'."
"The entire country is hearing the roar of his silence. He should say at least something," he said.
Azad said the party was sticking to its demand for the resignation of Swaraj and Raje.
Seeking the PM's reply, Azad said: "(We are) slowly coming to the conclusion that the prime minister is party to this (matter)".
Sushma
Swaraj has been accused of helping former Indian Premier League chief
Lalit Modi in getting British travel documents on "humanitarian grounds"
to travel to Portugal in 2014 as his Indian passport stood revoked.
Raje is accused of testifying in favour of Lalit Modi's British immigration application in 2011.