New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday came down heavily on External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for helping scam-tainted former IPL chief Lalit Modi in getting British travel documents, and asked if she would also help underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, since he too is an Indian.
Speaking to news agency ANI, AAP leader Ashutosh said, “Dawood Ibrahim was also an Indian, if something happens with his family, will Sushma Swaraj help him out?”
Further dragging Prime Minister Narendra Modi into the row, Asutosh added, “After Sushma ji has admitted her fault, this is open and shut case; question is now that if PM Modi wants her to continue in the cabinet or not.”
Ashutosh even sought to know if the Prime Minister was aware of Swaraj's help to the former IPL chief and said he must come out with a statement to make clear facts.
Rejecting Swaraj's defence that she helped Lalit Modi on "humanitarian grounds", Ashutosh alleged quid-pro-quo, saying the former IPL commissioner had helped her husband Swaraj Kaushal in securing admission for his nephew in a UK university in 2013 and he enjoyed proximity to BJP leaders, including its president Amit Shah.
The External Affairs Minister had earlier admitted to helping Lalit Modi with his travel documents, but made it clear that she did so only on humanitarian grounds.
Amid calls for her resignation by the opposition parties, Swaraj tried to clarify her position via a series of tweets.
Swaraj said that she took a humanitarian view of Modi's case since his wife was suffering from cancer.
"Taking a humanitarian view, I conveyed to the British High Commissioner that - 'British Government should examine the request of Lalit Modi as per British rules and regulations.' If the British Government chooses to give travel documents to Lalit Modi that will not spoil our bilateral relations," she tweeted.
Taking a humanitarian view, I conveyed to the British High Commissioner that "British Government should examine the request of
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) June 14, 2015
Lalit Modi as per British rules and regulations. If the British Government chooses to give travel documents to Lalit Modi,
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) June 14, 2015
- that will not spoil our bilateral relations.
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) June 14, 2015
(With Agency inputs)
