NEW DELHI- External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on June 14 was at the centre of a row after admitting to having helped former IPL chief Lalit Modi procure documents to travel to Portugal last July on “humanitarian grounds” with the Congress demanding her resignation for “gross impropriety”. Adding a new twist to the controversy, the name of Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje cropped up on June 16...
with allegations that she testified in favour of the former IPL chief’s British immigration application in 2011. The Congress demanded Raje’s resignation.
Sushma Swaraj, in a series of 14 tweets, said she helped Lalit Modi, who has been staying in London since 2010 following allegations of financial impropriety, after he approached her last July, saying his wife was suffering from cancer and was to undergo surgery in Portugal. Sushma Swaraj, however, denied having sought any favour for her nephew Jyotirmay Kaushal with regard to his admission in a law course at Sussex University. “What benefit did I pass on to Lalit Modi - that he could sign consent papers for surgery of his wife suffering from cancer? He was in London. After his wife’s surgery, he came back to London. What is it that I changed?” she said in angry tweets. Sushma Swaraj is reported to have spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the matter, even as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah and Home Minister Rajnath Singh came out in support of the senior minister.While the Congress demanded the minister’s resignation for “gross impropriety” for having helped Lalit Modi, against whom the Enforcement Directorate has filed charges, many BJP leaders, as well as Samajwadi Party’s Ram Gopal Yadav, came out in her support. The incident was triggered after Britain’s ‘Sunday Times’ reported an email exchange between influential Labour MP Keith Vaz and head of UK Visas and Immigration Sarah Rapson, citing Sushma Swaraj, to facilitate travel documents for Lalit Modi.
The’ Sunday Times’ in its report said: “Leaked correspondence reveals how Vaz cited Sushma Swaraj, India’s foreign minister, to the Home Office in an effort to expedite the case of Lalit Modi, a mutual acquaintance.”
“... Lalit Modi spoke to me that his wife was suffering from cancer and her surgery was fixed for 4th Aug in Portugal. He told me that he had to be present in the Hospital to sign the consent papers,” Sushma Swaraj tweeted.
“He informed me that he had applied for travel documents in London and UK government was prepared to give him the travel documents. However, they were restrained by a UPA Government communication that this will spoil Indo-UK relations,” she added.
“Taking a humanitarian view, I conveyed to the British High Commissioner that British Government should examine the request of Lalit Modi as per British rules and regulations. If the British Government chooses to give travel documents to Lalit Modi - that will not spoil our bilateral relations,” said the minister.
“Keith Vaz also spoke to me and I told him precisely what I told the British High Commissioner,” she said. Sushma Swaraj said: “I genuinely believe that in a situation such as this, giving emergency travel documents to an Indian citizen cannot and should not spoil relations between the two countries.” She said that a few days after that, the Delhi High Court quashed an order by the erstwhile Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) to impound Lalit Modi’s passport.
With regard to her nephew’s admission, she said: “Regarding Jyotirmay Kaushal’s admission in a law course at Sussex University, he secured admission through the normal admission process in 2013 - one year before I became a Minister.”
Congress leader Digvijaya Singh demanded Sushma Swaraj’s resignation “on moral grounds”.
“The minister backed a person like Lalit Modi, against whom a lookout notice was there. All this is very serious. The external affairs minister is supporting a person who is on the run,” he said. Digvijaya Singh also demanded a clarification from Prime Minister Modi on the issue. Congress spokesman Randeep Surjewala said the incident exposed “a clear nexus between a money launderer and match-fixer” — referring to Lalit Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
Sushma Swaraj, in a series of 14 tweets, said she helped Lalit Modi, who has been staying in London since 2010 following allegations of financial impropriety, after he approached her last July, saying his wife was suffering from cancer and was to undergo surgery in Portugal. Sushma Swaraj, however, denied having sought any favour for her nephew Jyotirmay Kaushal with regard to his admission in a law course at Sussex University. “What benefit did I pass on to Lalit Modi - that he could sign consent papers for surgery of his wife suffering from cancer? He was in London. After his wife’s surgery, he came back to London. What is it that I changed?” she said in angry tweets. Sushma Swaraj is reported to have spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the matter, even as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah and Home Minister Rajnath Singh came out in support of the senior minister.While the Congress demanded the minister’s resignation for “gross impropriety” for having helped Lalit Modi, against whom the Enforcement Directorate has filed charges, many BJP leaders, as well as Samajwadi Party’s Ram Gopal Yadav, came out in her support. The incident was triggered after Britain’s ‘Sunday Times’ reported an email exchange between influential Labour MP Keith Vaz and head of UK Visas and Immigration Sarah Rapson, citing Sushma Swaraj, to facilitate travel documents for Lalit Modi.
The’ Sunday Times’ in its report said: “Leaked correspondence reveals how Vaz cited Sushma Swaraj, India’s foreign minister, to the Home Office in an effort to expedite the case of Lalit Modi, a mutual acquaintance.”
“... Lalit Modi spoke to me that his wife was suffering from cancer and her surgery was fixed for 4th Aug in Portugal. He told me that he had to be present in the Hospital to sign the consent papers,” Sushma Swaraj tweeted.
“He informed me that he had applied for travel documents in London and UK government was prepared to give him the travel documents. However, they were restrained by a UPA Government communication that this will spoil Indo-UK relations,” she added.
“Taking a humanitarian view, I conveyed to the British High Commissioner that British Government should examine the request of Lalit Modi as per British rules and regulations. If the British Government chooses to give travel documents to Lalit Modi - that will not spoil our bilateral relations,” said the minister.
“Keith Vaz also spoke to me and I told him precisely what I told the British High Commissioner,” she said. Sushma Swaraj said: “I genuinely believe that in a situation such as this, giving emergency travel documents to an Indian citizen cannot and should not spoil relations between the two countries.” She said that a few days after that, the Delhi High Court quashed an order by the erstwhile Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) to impound Lalit Modi’s passport.
With regard to her nephew’s admission, she said: “Regarding Jyotirmay Kaushal’s admission in a law course at Sussex University, he secured admission through the normal admission process in 2013 - one year before I became a Minister.”
Congress leader Digvijaya Singh demanded Sushma Swaraj’s resignation “on moral grounds”.
“The minister backed a person like Lalit Modi, against whom a lookout notice was there. All this is very serious. The external affairs minister is supporting a person who is on the run,” he said. Digvijaya Singh also demanded a clarification from Prime Minister Modi on the issue. Congress spokesman Randeep Surjewala said the incident exposed “a clear nexus between a money launderer and match-fixer” — referring to Lalit Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
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