Congress seeks Sushma Swaraj’s resignation on Modi issue, Samajwadi Party backs Minister

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Sunday demanded the resignation of external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj after it was revealed that she had facilitated travel documents for former IPL boss Lalit Modi despite an Enforcement Directorate case pending against him in India.

As news of this and possible quid pro quo started filtering in, the Congress stepped up its demand for her ouster, but the government and BJP decided to back Swaraj for the moment. She, somewhat unexpectedly, got support from Samajwadi Party’s Ram Gopal Yadav, who said, "This is not such a big matter, I don’t think Sushmaji has done anything wrong."

Congress’ general secretary in charge of media Randeep Surjewala, however, didn’t mince words, terming the incident as a "sordid drama". "What we have witnessed today involves a blatant quid pro quo; direct help to a fugitive, internecine warfare between the top echelons of government, and unravelling of the nexus between the BJP leadership and its crony criminal friends," he said.

He added there was "a clear-cut case of gross impropriety on the part of external affairs minister, helping a fugitive against whom a blue corner notice/lookout circular had been issued by the Enforcement Directorate, and also someone who was being investigated by the income -tax authorities for financial impropriety, illegal betting and money laundering..." He said ex-finance minister P Chidambaram had sought action against Modi by writing to the Chancellor of Exchequer in the UK.