Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj Has BJP’s Support In Lalit Modi’s case
NEW DELHI: The ruling BJP has come out in support of Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj, who is facing opposition demands for her resignation over her decision to help controversial former Indian Premier League boss Lalit Modi secure emergency travel papers in Britain.
Sushma Swaraj, who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, has defended her decision. She said she had backed Lalit Modi’s request last July for travel documents from the British government on “humanitarian grounds” so that he could be with his wife who needed surgery for cancer in Portugal.
“What benefit did I pass on to Lalit Modi… He was in London. After his wife’s surgery, he came back to London. What is it that I changed?” Ms Swaraj tweeted, adding that Lalit Modi told her in July last that he had to sign the consent papers for his wife’s operation on August 4 in Portugal.
Lalit Modi was removed as chairman of the multi-billion dollar Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2010 over allegations of corruption for which he is being investigated. His Indian passport was revoked in 2010 by the Indian government but was restored by the Delhi High Court in August last year.
Reacting to the controversy, Lalit Modi said on Sunday, “Waiting and watching the story unfold. No comment for now”. He has been in the UK since 2010 when the IPL was caught in a storm over an alleged illegal betting scandal.
According to the British media, Indian-origin British MP Keith Vaz cited the name of Ms Swaraj to put pressure on UK’s top immigration official to grant British travel papers to Lalit Modi.
Sushma Swaraj claimed Lalit Modi had said that the British government was prepared to give him travel documents, but was restrained by a communication from the previous Congress-led government that it would “spoil Indo-UK relations”.
“Taking a humanitarian view, I conveyed to the British High Commissioner that the British Government should examine the request of Lalit Modi as per British rules… If the British Government chooses to give travel documents… that would not spoil our bilateral relations,” Ms Swaraj said.
The Opposition parties have alleged a conflict of interest after reports that Ms Swaraj’s husband Swaraj Kaushal and daughter Bansuri have represented Lalit Modi for years.
“In the interest of transparency, Government of India should release the letters written to the UK Chancellor on the Lalit Modi case,” tweeted senior Congress leader P Chidambaram.
Backing Ms Swaraj, BJP President Amit Shah said, “There were no moral grounds involved. The help was based on humanitarian grounds.” Home Minister Rajnath Singh said, “What Sushma ji has done, it is right… I want to clarify that the government stands with her.”
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Source:Ndtv
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