By Aditya Raj Das / AMN–
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today rubbished all allegation against her in the lalit Modi case and held Congress-led UPA government responsible for the failures in the Lalitgate. She also rubbished all the opposition allegations leveled against her and said neither her husband nor her daughter received a single penny from Lalit Modi.
She said the former Finance Minister P Chidambaram acted in the case due to personal reasons. Intervening in the discussion under Opposition Adjournment motion, she made scathing attacks on Congress President Sonia Gandhi and party Vice-President Rahul Gandhi regarding quid pro quo.
Dismissing all allegations against her family and self, Swaraj alleged that those who actually indulged in quid pro quo were members of Congress, and Gandhi family in particular.
The External Affairs Minister alleged that those who actually indulged in quid pro quo were members of Congress, and Gandhi family in particular.
Directing her attack at Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, Swaraj said that since the Gandhi scion “likes going on leaves, he should go on one and read about the history of his family”.
Asserting that not her but the members of Congress party were “in the habit of helping fugitives”, Swaraj said, “Rahul Gandhi ji should go to her mother and ask – Mumma, papa ne Quattrocchi ko kyun chhoda? Mumma, papa ne Anderson ko kyun chhoda?”
“We never did anything secretly, the Congress secretly facilitated Quattrocchi’s exit,” said Swaraj.
The External Affairs Minister further said that she had not indulged in any “conflict of interes”, alleging that it was former UPA minister P Chidambaram who had indulged in the same.
“When Chidambaram was the Finance Minister, his wife Nalini Chidambaram was appointed a lawyer by the Income Tax department, which is a clear case of conflict of interest,” said Swaraj.
She further said, “When the issue came up in Parliament, Chidambaram claimed ignorance on the appointment of his wife, and said that he wouldn’t have let it happen had he known about the same.”
“There’s no conflict of interest in my case. My husband and daughter have not taken a single penny from Lalit Modi,” she said, reacting to allegations that her family members were beneficiaries of the former cricket boss. The minister’s husband and daughter are lawyers.
“If helping that woman (Lalit Modi’s cancer-stricken wife) was wrong, then I’ve done something wrong,” Swaraj said.
Swaraj also gave a point-by-point rebuttal of the allegations made by veteran Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge earlier in Lok Sabha.
Blaming the UPA government for not bringing back former Indian Premier League (IPL) Commissioner Lalit Modi, Swaraj alleged that it was the previous government that did not act in the case for four years.
“It was under the UPA government that Lalit Modi got UK stay permit and the government did not even file an extradition request,” she said.
She further alleged that Chidambaram did not keep anyone in the Ministry of External Affairs in loop when he wrote to UK government on the Lalit Modi issue adding “”You gave Lalit Modi right of residency in the UK”:
Sushma Swaraj also urged Rahul Gandhi to question his mother Sonia on why his father Rajiv Gandhi had a quid pro quo arrangement with the US and why he allowed Warren Anderson to run away to the US.
She then made an emotional remark about how she had been in politics for 38 years.
“I have been in politics for 38 years. The kind of dignity with thich I have engaged in politics is like a tapasya,” she said.
“Lalit Modi got right of residency in the UK when your government was in power,” Sushma Swaraj said. “Why are they demanding answers from me? They themselves are responsible for what they are asking…Congress leadership was divided on Lalit Modi case. One half wanted probe, other half did not.”
“Enforcement Directorate, under your government, did not take do any investigation against Lalit Modi,” she said.
“I wanted to speak on this issue to show that these people are the culprits,” Swaraj said. “Khargeji spoke and went away and then left these people to make noise during my speech,” she said as the Congress leaders kept on shouting.
Swaraj’s speech came after the Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan accepted an adjournment motion for a discussion on the Lalit Modi controversy.
Addressing the Lok Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge refuted all the claims made by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who is in the line of fire over the issue. He made a point-by-point attack on the Union Minister.
Kharge said that the minister’s “humanitarian grounds” claim was made as if Sushma Swaraj was the only one with emotions and all others do not have hearts. Kharge further said that even if it was on humanitarian ground, she should have insisted on him returning to India after meeting his wife.
The Congress also attacked the External Affairs Minister for not consulting officials of her ministry and Indian High Commission in UK. Kharge pointed that the minister had not even consulted the Indian High Commissioner in UK or senior officials like Foreign Secretary on the issue of Lalit Modi’s travel papers.
Taking on Sushma Swaraj over her claim of there being no proof/record of allegations made by Congress, Kharge pointed that there had been verbal communication between the External Affairs Minister and British MP Keith Vaz, hence there was no record of the same.
Kharge claimed that Swaraj herself had accepted to have talked to Vaz for Lalit Modi’s travel papers, and there was no point in claiming there was no record.
As expected from the Congress, Mallikarjun Kharge started shouting after Sushma Swaraj’s speech and demanded that rule 352 be invoked against her speech.
In response, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley got up and said, “Khargeji has invoked rule 352. Under that rule, every sentence of his speech will have to be disregarded.”
Earlier as as Sushma Swaraj got up to make a statement in the House, Opposition leaders began shouting loudly and ensured that no one could be heard in the House. Naidu also objected to the remarks made by Kharge against the PM.
As the Opposition began their protests, Swaraj requested the Speaker to accept the notice of adjournment motion given by Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge that was related to her. Making an earnest appeal, Swaraj said the adjournment motion should be “accepted as it is”.
Swaraj herself requested Speaker Sumitra Mahajan to accept the Opposition demand soon after the House assembled for the day, the penultimate day of the Monsoon Session which has remained stalled over Congress protests on the Lalit Modi and Vyapam issues.
The External Affairs Minister’s request prompted Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu to tell the House that the government was ready to discuss the issue under an adjournment motion, a matter which was not acceptable to it so far.
However, Kharge insisted that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi should be present during the debate and should reply.
How can action be taken against the Minister without the Prime Minister being present and answering to the debate, he wondered.