TIA Correspondent
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley after he returned from abroad, today met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah in New Delhi. They are understood to have discussed the Lalit Modi travel document controversy issue and future course of action.
BJP has asserted that it fully supports Ms. Raje and questioned the silence of Congress President Sonia Gandhi after the Lalit Modi claimed that he met Priyanka Gandhi and her husband Robert Vadra in London.
BJP Secretary Shrikant Sharma said Ms. Raje is a popular Chief Minister and entire party is behind her. He rejected opposition demands for her resignation saying the allegations against her are baseless.
The party also said even if Ms Raje had backed the immigration appeal of Lalit Modi, she had not testified in court on his behalf and hence the opposition criticism of her supporting a man wanted for financial crimes in India was misplaced. Rajasthan Chief Minister is likely to reach Delhi tonight or tomorrow morning to attend the NITI Aayog meeting . She is also expected to meet BJP central leadership to explain her position on the issue.
Meanwhile, the Congress today alleged Lalit Modi, a fugitive benefited Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje’s son Dushyant Raje by buying 815 shares from his company. Briefing media in New Delhi this evening, party spokesperson Ajoy Kumar said, fresh documents now prove direct financial involvement of Rajasthan Chief Minister and her family members with Lalit Modi. The spokesperson also sought to know from the BJP as to when will the Chief Minister of Rajasthan step down. Mr Kumar said, in view of enough proof and evidence in the public domain against Mrs Raje for helping out fugitive Lalit Modi, the Prime Minister must immediately ask her to resign.
Rajasthan BJP has clarified that there is no legal sanctity of documents being referred to in Lalit Modi controversy. State BJP president Ashok Parnami addressing media person in Jaipur today said that Chief Minister has not made any deposition in the court regarding visa documents. He said Lalit Modi was not benefited from these papers nor he was a fugitive at that time.
Referring to Congress General Seceatary C P Joshi’s press conference in New Delhi, Health Minister Rajender Rathore said all allegation regarding MOU between Government of Rajasthan and Portugal Champlimaud Foundation are baseless. Addressing the press conference, he said cancer institute will be owned by the state government. Meanwhile, Chief Minster’s office has again issued a written statement that stories carried by some media organization that Chief Minister seeking BJP MLA‘s loyalty are baseless.