AMN
The opposition has sharpened attack against External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for helping Lalit Modi acquire travel documents. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi asked the prime minister to sack foreign minister Sushma Swaraj.
Gandhi also accused the prime minister of protecting the tainted cricket administrator, who is wanted in India on charges of money laundering.
Congress party demanded registration of FIR against her. Questioning the silence of the Prime Minister over the issue, party said Narendra Modi should answer whether he was a party to help a money launderer. It also sought to know the relationship among Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and Lalit Modi.
Briefing media, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said Mrs Swaraj’s help to Lalit Modi, a fugitive, points to entire BJP government aiding him perhaps with the tacit approval of the Prime Minister.
The spokesperson also showed few photographs during the briefing in which the Prime Minister and Amit Shah were with Lalit Modi. Demanding resignation of Mrs Swaraj, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kumar Vishwas said, a decision to help Lalit Modi could not have been taken without the knowledge of the Prime Minister’s Office.
CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury said charges raised against Mrs Swaraj are serious and asked why Prime Minister who talks about accountability and corruption free governance is silent on the issue. BJP ally Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said, Sushma Swaraj is being targeted to weaken the Modi government and his party has complete faith in her.
Reacting sharply on the allegations, Union Minister and BJP leader Prakash Javadekar targeted the Congress for what it called playing cheap politics on the issue. Mr Javadekar said, the Congress has no issue and making hill out of a mole. He alleged that there is a total bankruptcy of ideas in the Congress. He said, when Lalit Modi left the country why Congress which was in power at that time did not act. Mr Javadekar also ruled out the resignation of the External Affairs Minister saying that she has already explained her position and BJP president endorsed her clarification.
On the photographs shown at the Congress press conference, Mr Javadekar sought explanation from the Congress about the photographs of Congress leaders Rajiv Shukla and Jyotiraditya Scindia with Lalit Modi and 2G and coal scam accused persons. He said, the photographs shown by the Congress pertain to 2010 when Mr Narendra Modi was Gujarat Chief Minister and Chairman of Gujarat Cricket Association and at that time there were no charges against Lalit Modi.