India's external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj has sparked a new controversy by defending her recommendation to the UK to provide travel documents to former Indian Premier League chief Lalit Modi to visit his wife, who was undergoing treatment for cancer at a Portugal hospital last year.
Swaraj tweeted that she had told the UK that “giving emergency travel documents to an Indian citizen cannot, and should not, spoil relations between the two countries.” The Minister said she had conveyed to the British government that India would not object if the British authorities acceded to Modi’s request. There was a need, she said, to take a “humanitarian” view.
While Congress party has criticised Swaraj's action, the Union Government and the RSS came out in support of the minister and BJP party president Amit Shah said the recommendation was on 'humanitarian' grounds and not 'moral'. Union home minister Rajnath Singh said, “whatever she has done is right. We justify it and the government stands by her.” RSS leader Indresh Kumar said Swaraj had been guided by her “humane” nature and “nationalistic” spirit.
Swaraj tweeted: “After his wife’s surgery, he came back to London. What is it that I changed?” “What benefit did I pass on to Lalit Modi - that he could sign consent papers for surgery of his wife suffering from cancer?”
The Opposition parties alleged a conflict of interest after reports said that Swaraj’s daughter had represented Modi in court. They even asked if Swaraj’s husband provided legal counsel to the ex-IPL commissioner.
The controversy broke out shortly after the British media reported that Labour MP Keith Vaz had recommended to immigration officials in the UK to grant travel documents to Modi, based on his consultation with the Minister, something that Swaraj has confirmed.
While Congress accused the Modi government of protecting Modi and demanded that the Supreme Court should set up a special investigation team to probe the issue, the BJP said the opposition party was "frustrated" and had shown its "complete bankruptcy" by using a "non-issue" to target Swaraj.
Addressing a press conference, Congress leader Anand Sharma said that "Modi ministers are hiding facts and they all are protecting a wanted offender." "What Sushma Swaraj did was unwarranted. Moreover, the row is not about Lalit Modi's travel papers but about protection being given to him," Sharma said.
"We have to ask Modi directly, why is he quiet? Can there be different set of rules when you talk of probity," Sharma asked. "Lalit Modi has declared himself bankrupt but he is holidaying despite bankruptcy," Sharma said.
Vasundhara Raje 'secretly' supported Modi
In a new twist to the Lalit Modi controversy, “Times Now” revealed that Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje had in August 2011 backed the Modi's UK immigration application on the condition that her support was not made known to Indian authorities. The report said that the letter was part of the documents that were mailed to news channels on Monday night by a PR firm engaged by Modi's lawyer Mehmood Abdi.
However, there are no signatures of Vasundhara Raje on the papers showed by the channel. Times Now has said that it does not vouch for the authenticity of the documents as they were provided to the channel by Modi's lawyer.
