BJP has opened 'Lalit Kala Academy' to defend ex-IPL boss: Congress

NEW DELHI: Taking a potshot at BJP over 'Lalitgate', Congress today said that the ruling party has opened a "Lalit Kala Academy" to defend the "black deeds" of the controversial former IPL boss.

"It seems BJP has opened a Lalit Kala Academy to train its spokespersons in how to defend Lalit Modi," party spokesman Tom Vadakkan told reporters here.

Noting that BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao had dubbed Lalit Modi as a "victim", Vadakkan said if the argument was taken to its logical conclusion, then it meant that Modi needed protection.

However, he added that another BJP leader, Member of Parliament RK Singh, has described Modi as a "fugitive".

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has given a "clean chit" to Dushyant Singh, son of Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, but had toned down his remarks after a public outcry, Vadakkan further stated.

Saying that Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has given a clean chit to Raje, the Congress spokesman claimed all this has exposed the utter confusion within BJP on the Lalitgate issue. Which is the reason why it has opened the "Lalit Kala Academy", he said.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Raje have been facing flak for "helping" Modi procure travel documents in the UK, a country which he has made his home to avoid legal processes in India.

Modi, 49, travelled to London in 2010 after the Indian Premier League became embroiled in allegations of match-fixing and illegal betting.