The Congress on Friday came up with a fresh angle in the lalit Modi-Vasundhara Raje controversy by alleging that the Rajasthan Chief Minister had given a prime land to set up a cancer hospital in Jaipur — in collaboration with a Portugese facility where the ex-IPl commissioner’s wife was treated.
The Congress released a copy of the MoU signed between the Rajasthan Medical Education Department and Champalimaud Foundation of Portugal on October 2 last year for establishing a centre of excellence in Jaipur for cancer care. The Congress said it is a case of public money being “sloshed for crony gratification” in a ‘quid pro quo’.
Congress spokesperson CP Joshi alleged that all the norms were flouted in the MoU adding “one is astounded at the magnitude of quid pro quo that is getting unearthed every day between Raje and the fugitive friend of the BJP, lalit Modi.”
Chief spokesperson Randip Surewala added that Raje had blatantly violated the Government Financial Rules (GFR), Codal Formalities and all other procedures of financial, tendering and administrative propriety in this case.
“This is even more glaringly collusive when viewed in light of the fact that Raje had accompanied Meenal Modi, wife of lalit Modi, to the same Champalimaud Foundation twice in 2012 and 2013,” Surjewala said.
“The MoU does not look like an agreement of equals rather it is a quid pro quo and a favour done. It is a sweet deal”, said Joshi alleging that under the MoU, 8.7 acres of prime land worth hundreds of crores in Jaipur were given to the Champalimaud Foundation and the Government was bearing the entire cost of civil construction of the project besides bearing the entire cost of machine and equipment needed at the Foundation.
“While on the one hand, in a project involving disbursement and disposal of public resources worth hundreds of crores, no tendering/bidding requirements have been met, on the other hand, it has also been ensured that the beneficiary foundation does not invest a single paisa into the project”, Joshi claimed.
Surjewala demanded that the NDA government should release all notices sent to lalit Modi under Congress government for FEMA violation and other cases.
The Congress also rejected any links between Modi and the Gandhi family after the BJP made this allegation seizing on a tweet by the tainted former IPl Commissioner that he had “run into” Priyanka Gandhi and Robert Vadra in a london restaurant. Congress spokesperson CP Joshi said there was no need to clarify when lalit Modi had himself said that he had run into Robert and Priyanka.