Rejecting External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s argument that she had not helped lalit Modi, but his cancer-stricken wife, the Congress on Thursday accused her of misleading the nation with her “tear-jerker” statement in the lok Sabha.
Soon after Swaraj’s statement in the lok Sabha, AICC spokesperson Anand Sharma sought to puncture Sushma’s statement and also attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying he cannot “brazen it out” by remaining silent.
“You must have seen External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s tear-jerker. What we saw was an apology of a defence. It is hogwash which is difficult to accept. It is punctured with multiple holes and is contradictory. The basic question is, should a Minister clandestinely arrange, facilitate or make requests for travel documents for a fugitive, which were rejected by the British Government earlier,” Sharma said at a special Press briefing.
Rejecting the defence, Sharma said that the Modi Government first “murdered” democracy by suspending 25 Congress MPs.
Sharma said lalit Modi had admitted his request for travel documents was rejected by British authorities on July 3, 2014. “By her own admission contained in her tweets dated June 14, 2015, Swaraj enabled the British Government to give lalit Modi travel documents. Obviously, Swaraj’s intervention helped lalit Modi get the travel documents by making the British authorities reverse their decision,” Sharma pointed out.
Sharing the hard copies of Swaraj’s tweets on the lalit Modi issue, Sharma said Swaraj hid the fact that the British Government had earlier rejected lalit’s applications for travel documents. “Did Swaraj respond after the British Government or its authorities asked her or the Indian Government about itIJ What can be a greater recommendation than a Minister on her own taking up a fugitive’s travel document issue with foreign authorities,” he said.
Sticking to its demand for Swaraj’s resignation and a high-level probe, the left party also objected to the Minister making a statement in “the absence of the entire Opposition” in lok Sabha.
CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said the Union Minister will be welcomed “with honour” if a probe proves her innocence.
“The Minister gave a statement in the absence of the entire Opposition like Rajiv Gandhi had run Parliament during the Bofors scam. If at all what the Minister has said is correct, then why is the Prime Minister hesitating to order an enquiryIJ” Yechury asked.
He stressed that the Opposition is demanding only a high-level probe and that the leaders allegedly involved in the controversies should step down till the probe is completed.
“If what the Union Minister is saying is correct, then she should come back with honour. (But) let the enquiry prove it,” he added.