New Delhi: Mounting pressure on the Bharatiya Janata Party for removal of Vasundhara Raje as Rajasthan Chief Minister for allegedly helping scam-tainted former IPL chief Lalit Modi, the Congress on Thursday said that the ruling party has no other option but to sack her.
No denial has come from the BJP over Vasundhara Raje helping Lalit Modi. The documents which prove the same are also now public, Congress leader Sachin Pilot said at a press conference here.
“We have been hearing conflicting voices from the BJP. They must ask Vasundhara ji to step down for an impartial inquiry,” Pilot added.
“How can we have a non-prejudiced investigation when the minister or the CM are clinging on to their chairs?” he asked.
“The BJP is unable to decide whether Lalit Modi is a victim or a fugitive. The party cannot run away from the fact that it's top leadership is involved in abetting a fugitive,” he stated.
Pilot stressed that the BJP must accept the reality that Vasundhara Raje violated laws.
The Congress leader said his party will even go to the President if the BJP fails to act. He also threatened an unprecedented agitation in the entire state if Raje is not removed.
“Every Congress worker will be on the streets now in the entire state to demand the resignation of Vasundhara Raje,” Pilot warned.
He alleged that the BJP has different standards for different leaders.
“The BJP has double standards - one for the common people and other for their ministers,” said Pilot.
The PM must break his silence now. It's time that he came out and clarified, Pilot said.
“Where is the zero tolerance for corruption, Mr Prime Minister,” he asked.
Pressure has been mounting on Raje to quit after fresh documents released by the Congress yesterday showed she had indeed testified in favour of Lalit Modi.
Documents released earlier had established that Raje supported Modi's immigration application in the UK along with a condition that the same should not be revealed before the Indian authorities.
On Wednesday, the Congress released a signed statement that was submitted in a UK court in 2011 and in which Raje supports any immigration application by Modi.
As per the documents released by Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, Raje - in the witness statement submitted in the UK court in 2011 - had backed the immigration plea of Lalit Modi contending she had no doubt that the frontal attack he was facing in India then was "politically motivated".
