Embroiled in a major controversy over her links with former IPl chief lalit Modi, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje sent a clear message on Thursday saying that she has no intention to step down from her post evenas the Congress and the Opposition stepped up pressure for her resignation.
While Union law Minister Sadananda Gowda said the BJP would “certainly” look into the Raje’s case in which she has been accused of helping lalit Modi to obtain residency status in the UK and her son Dushyant Singh’s financial relations with lalit Modi, the Raje camp came out with the first reaction on the demand for her resignation on Thursday.
Rajasthan Health Minister Rajendra Rathore, a hardcore Raje loyalist, rejected the demands for the resignation of the Chief Minister saying the entire national BJP and the Centre are with her.“The entire BJP, be it at the Centre or the State, is with her. She has been leading us and will continue to do so. The entire legislature party is standing strongly with her. Our leadership is standing by her. The question of her resignation does not arise. There is no need to tender resignation,” Rathore told a Press conference.
However, Rathore parried all questions on allegations leveled against Raje, especially her purported “secret” backing of lalit Modi’s immigration plea in london, saying, “Whatever she had to say and whatever information she had she has already given in a brief statement (on Tuesday)”.
“When she has said ‘what is the document you are talking about’ that ends the matter,” he said when asked about her witness statement to a london court in favour of the tainted former IPl boss and his investment in a company owned by her son Dushyant Singh.“There were many bigger episodes (during the Congress rule). This (lalitGate) is no issue. There is no such thing in it,” he said.
When reporters persisted with their questions on the controversies, the Minister said all questions will be answered at the appropriate time. “There is nothing secret about it,” he said.
While keeping silence on Raje, the BJP once again defended External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who has been accused of helping lalit Modi in obtaining travel documents from the UK authorities. Asserting that the BJP is not embarrassed by Sushma Swaraj helping lalit Modi, Union law Minister DV Sadananda Gowda hit back at the Congress saying it was the previous UPA Government that allowed the former IPl chief to “run away” from the country.
“As far as Sushma Swaraj is concerned, the party is not embarrassed. Doing something for a person who is suffering from cancer (Modi’s wife) is not an issue to be discussed,” he told PTI in Bengaluru.Gowda said the BJP and the Government are with Swaraj because she helped lalit Modi out of humanitarian consideration and did not make any attempt to stall the proceedings against the former IPl chief, who is facing money laundering and other charges.
On the political firestorm over Vasundhara Raje, who allegedly backed lalit Modi’s immigration plea and faces trouble over reports that the former IPl chief had invested Rs 11.63 crore in a firm owned by her son Dushyant Singh in 2008, Gowda said the party would “certainly” look into the matter.
“As far as Raje’s case is concerned, my party will certainly look into the matter. Our party will go into the details and only after getting the particulars, take a decision on what needs to be done,” Gowda added.Strongly defending Swaraj, he said, “The whole party and the whole Government is with Sushma Swaraj because humanitarian consideration has to be given importance... If someone’s wife is suffering from cancer, is it not the responsibility of the individual whoever it might be --- Minister or an ordinary individual --- to help him to just to go for treatmentIJ”
Meanwhile, veteran BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi called on Sushma at her residence on Thursday night. It was not clear whether Joshi’s visit was “a courtesy call” or a show of solidarity with Swaraj. Joshi is one of the firsts top BJP leader paying visit to Swaraj at 8, Safdar Jung lane, after she was allegedly caught in the controversy.
During the day, Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Rajnanth Singh reportedly discussed the entire controversy surrounding Sushma and Vasundhara. However, the details of the meetings were not known.
The Opposition continued to target the Government over its failure in taking action against Sushma and Raje and attacked the PM, alleging that there is “consent” of Narendra Modi behind the “assistance” by the duo to lalit Modi.Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is the leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, said, “It is high time the Prime Minister acted. We would like the PM to act. Why has he gone into hidingIJ Where is heIJ Why is there a sheepish silence on part of the Prime Minister when it comes to his partyIJ
Targeting Modi over the controversy involving Raje as well as Swaraj, Rajasthan PCC chief Sachin Pilot said, “There is absolute silence by the Prime Minister on the goings-on. He is playing with the trust of the people of India.”
“Silence is a sign of his consent. Whatever is happening has his (PM’s) consent. He was repeatedly saying there is no scam even as one year of his Government has passed. Now it has come to the fore and even new chapters are being added in it every day,” Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar told reporters in Patna.CPI MP D Raja said the Prime Minister should break his “studied” silence on the issue as the episode involving the two BJP leaders’ help to the tainted former IPl Commissioner has exposed the claims of the BJP that it gave scam-free governance in the last one year.
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury questioned why the Prime Minister wondered whether the PMO too had endorsed facilitating the ex-IPl chief. “Probity of this Narendra Modi Government is under a big question mark, his (Prime Minister’s) accountability and transparency. This can only be answered if a proper probe is constituted and till the probe is on, these people should not continue to remain in office,” Yechury said.