Opposition parties, led by Congress, on Thursday launched a fresh offensive seeking immediate removal of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje over the ‘lalitgate’ as the BJP and the Modi Government maintained a studied silence on the swirling controversy surrounding them.
The Opposition said the continuance of the two top BJP leaders in their positions has become untenable over what it alleged were acts of grave impropriety in helping the tainted former IPl boss lalit Modi.
The Congress mounted further attack on Sushma and Raje and demanded that the Prime Minister break his “meditation” and speak on the issue. While leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad questioned the “sheepish” silence of the Prime Minister and asked him to act, CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury warned that the Monsoon Session of Parliament could be disrupted because of Government’s obduracy in not acting in the issue.
CPI also joined the fray with party leader D Raja asking the Prime Minister to break his studied silence and remove Swaraj and Raje from their posts if they don’t resign immediately.
Addressing the Press at AICC briefing, former Union Minister CP Joshi, who is from Rajasthan, targeted Swaraj and Raje on their help to lalit Modi on the sly without keeping the Indian High Commission in london in the loop. He needled Raje saying while the BJP and RSS came out to defend Swaraj, no one has defended the Chief Minister.
Rajasthan Youth Congress held State-wide protests demanding the resignations of Swaraj and Raje and also burnt their effigies at Government Hostel circle in Jaipur.
Congress also took the opportunity to mention BJP veteran lK Advani’s statement in a national daily where, according to Congress, he had expressed no confidence in the leadership of the Prime Minister.
“Advaniji, has obviously said he is not sure about the leadership. He has expressed no confidence in the leadership of the Prime Minister. The ball is in the court of the Prime Minister,” Congress spokesperson Tom Vadakkan said. Reacting to Advani’s remarks, Yechury said that it was very clear at whom the statements were aimed at.
Asked about reports of scam-tainted former IPl chief lalit Modi hosting Congress leaders Shashi Tharoor and Rajiv Shukla too, Vadakkan said they did not hold any official post unlike Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and hence, there was no quid pro quo.
According to media reports, ex-IPl chief had hosted Tharoor, Shukla and Raje at a Mumbai hotel in 2010. Raje was Opposition leader in Rajasthan Assembly then. “Now it has come to fore that the then leader of Opposition in Rajasthan, who is the Chief Minister now, her bills were paid by IPl. Those who are against us will say Tharoor was there, Shukla was there, (NCP chief Sharad) Pawar was there, but they were not leader of Opposition. In Raje’s case, it is proved there was quid pro quo,” Vadakkan claimed.
Taking a jibe at the Prime Minister, another party leader Digvijay Singh wondered whether the RSS was now on his “radar” as he had already “taken care” of Sushma Swaraj and Vasundhara Raje. “He has already taken care of Sushma ji and Vasundhara ji. This is the Gujarat Modi Development Model! My way or the Highway!”, Singh said in a series of tweets.
Singh cautioned Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Home Minister Rajnath Singh that they could be targeted next. “Hiren Pathak and then Advaniji who saved him from being sacked. Murli Manohar Joshi. Arunji and Rajnathji beware you may be the next”, he said .
“I am not surprised. He sincerely believes in removing the ladder on which he climbs up. Vaghela Keshubhai Kashiram Rana Hiren Pandya,” Singh tweeted referring the BJP veterans in Gujarat.