Headlines
Lalitgate: Sushma speaks, Congress attacks her, Modi
New Delhi, Aug 6
External Affairs Minister
Sushma Swaraj on Thursday made a passionate defence of her role in the
Lalit Modi affair, but the Congress tore into her and blamed Prime
Minister Narendra Modi over the unending parliament logjam.
Detailing
her role for the first time in parliament, the minister -- whose
resignation has been sought by the opposition -- sought to give a
humanitarian twist to the saga, saying she acted the way she did only
because the former IPL chief's wife faced a life threatening situation.
She
insisted that she did not recommend to the British government to issue
travel documents to Lalit Modi but wanted to help his wife, a cancer
patient in Portugal.
In an emotional speech in the Lok Sabha that
was devoid of most opposition members, she said the allegations that
she recommended British travel documents for Lalit Modi were "wrong and
baseless".
"I have not helped Lalit Modi but his wife who is an
Indian national, (who is) not involved in any crime. Is it a crime to
help a woman like this? If it is a crime, I have committed it. I accept
it. If the house wants to give punishment, I am ready.
"If it had
been (Congress president) Sonia Gandhi in my place, what she would have
done?" she asked, inviting cheers from the treasury benches.
"I never made a recommendation or request to the British government to give travel documents to him."
The
minister said she verbally conveyed to the British government that if
"it chooses to give travel documents to Lalit Modi, it will not spoil
bilateral relationship between the two countries".
In no time,
the Congress accused her of impropriety and misuse of office besides a
keenness "to help a person wanted by law agencies in India". The party
called her statement "hogwash".
"Her statement (in parliament) exposes her," Congress leader Anand Sharma told the media.
"Should
a minister be clandestinely arranging or facilitating the issue of
travel documents, the request for which was rejected earlier by British
authorities?" he asked.
"There was no life threatening situation"
to Lalit Modi's wife, he said, adding that Lalit Modi, after getting
the British travel document, went on a virtual global tour.
To
back its statement, the Congress showed on a projector several file
pictures of Modi enjoying himself in tourist havens and partying with
male and female friends.
Sharma said it would have been
understandable if Sushma Swaraj had ordered the issue of Indian travel
documents to Lalit Modi as he was an Indian national.
"Why
intervene voluntarily when the British government and their authorities
have not asked the Indian government (whether to issue travel documents
to Lalit Modi or not).
"And then to say 'I have made no recommendation', this is ridiculous."
The Congress also targeted Prime Minister Modi, saying he "cannot brazen it out by remaining silent.
"Accountability cannot have dual standards. There cannot be a different rule book for the Modi government and his ministers.
"We
in the opposition are duty bound to enforce accountability. It is the
PM and his government who are purely responsible for the disruption in
parliament.
"The PM is complicit by silence. He is endorsing acts
of ... arrogance and obduracy which has caused the logjam in
parliament."
Both houses of parliament have been virtually
crippled since the monsoon session began on July 21, with the opposition
demanding the resignation of Sushma Swaraj as well as the BJP chief
ministers of Rajasthan (Vasundhara Raje) and Madhya Pradesh (Shivraj
Singh Chouhan).
Raje is said to have close links with Lalit Modi
while Chouhan is being blamed for the Vyapam recruitment scam that has
led to around 40 deaths. The Bharatiya Janata Party and the government
have said none of them will quit.
Sushma Swaraj said earlier that
she had been waiting to respond to charges hurled at her during a
debate. "If I do not get a chance to speak, it will be injustice."