Lalit Modi row: Congress attacks Sushma Swaraj’s ‘humanitarian’ move, demands her resignation
‘Swaraj family has long been associated with Lalit Modi’
New Delhi: Scores of Congress workers on Monday protested outside residence of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj demanding her resignation for "extending help" to scam-tainted former IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi in procuring travel documents in the UK.
Shouting slogans and holding placards, the Congress workers demanded action against Swaraj and said she must quit or Prime Minister Narendra Modi should sack her immediately from the Union Cabinet. The protesters also burnt effigies of Swaraj.
Congress has been attacking Swaraj since yesterday after reports surfaced that she had written to British lawmaker Keith Vaz to allegedly recommend travel documents for Lalit Modi for visiting Portugal.
Read: Sushma Swaraj fixed Lalit Modi travel, aided scam-tainted ex-IPL chief get travel papers
Swaraj has said she had written to Vaz on "humanitarian grounds" after Lalit Modi said his wife was ill.
Modi is wanted in India and has made London his home since 2010 to avoid a probe in the alleged betting and misappropriation of funds in the T20 cricket tournament.
Read: Amid controversy, Sushma Swaraj tweets ‘what benefit did I pass on to him?'
Some of the Congress protesters also broke barricades outside Swaraj's Safdarjung residence in posh Lutyens Bungalow Zone in central Delhi. Around 100 protesters were detained by the police and were later released.
Earlier in the day, Congress sharpened attack on Swaraj alleging there was "quid pro quo" involved in her "assistance" to Modi and demanded that the former IPL Commissioner be brought back and tried in India.
Read: Sushma Swaraj speaks to Modi as opposition demands her resignation
What benefit did I pass on to Lalit Modi - that he could sign consent papers for surgery of his wife suffering from Cancer ?
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) June 14, 2015"There are circumstances which establish contact between Sushma Swaraj and Lalit Modi. As a quid pro quo, Sushma Swaraj has done favour to a tainted person who is accused of Rs 700 crore money laundering, tax evasion and several other charges," said Congress national spokesperson P L Punia.
Read: Immigration row: Helped Lalit Modi with UK travel on humanitarian grounds, says Sushma Swaraj
Sometime in July 2014 Lalit Modi spoke to me that his wife was suffering from Cancer and her surgery was fixed for 4th Aug in Portugal.
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) June 14, 2015He told me that he had to be present in the Hospital to sign the consent papers.
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) June 14, 2015He informed me that he had applied for travel documents in London and UK Government was prepared to give him the travel documents.
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) June 14, 2015Bringing Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the line of fire, senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh on Monday alleged "achhe din" have arrived for those accused in criminal cases--from Amit Shah, to Ramdev, to Lalit Modi.
Read: Sushma Swaraj row: PM should apologise to nation, say opposition parties
"ACHHE DIN for all accused of murder false encounter money laundering FEMA from Amit Shah to Ramdev to Lalit Modi. PM silent", the Congress General Secretary said in a series of tweets.
ACHHE DIN for all accused of murder false encounter money laundering FEMA from Amit Shah to Ramdev to Lalit Modi. PM silent. ???? ???????? !
— digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) June 15, 2015Singh appealed to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to resign in the wake of her intervention to "help a fugitive".
"I have greatest regard for Sushmaji. Never expected her to intervene to help a fugitive evading Look Out Notice when he is holidaying!"
Read: Sushma Swaraj hits back at journalist who raked up propriety issue
"She may be a victim of inner BJP fight as mentioned but now the matter is in Public Domain I appeal to her conscience and she should resign."
In another tweet taking a dig at the government over the Lalit Modi issue, Singh remarked "Ramdev and Balkrishna also being investigated by ED under Money Laundering Act for buying property in Scotland. This case may also be closed."
Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram demanded release of letters written to the British government on the Lalit Modi case in the wake of controversy. "In the interest of transparency, Government of India should release the letters written to the UK Chancellor on the Lalit Modi case", Chidambaram, a senior Congress leader, tweeted.
More than two years ago as Finance Minister, Chidambaram had asked the British government why it was not taking action against Modi, former IPL chief, who had taken refuge in London, after he was accused of a wide range of financial impropriety, including money laundering.
Chidambaram had taken up the issue during his meeting with the Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne in 2013. He had wanted Britain to deport him as Modi's passport was impounded in India and his UK visa had run out.