Lalit Modi controversy: Congress mounts fresh attack on PM Modi, BJP

NEW DELHI: Opposition today mounted a fresh attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP as the Modigate controversy involving External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj took a new twist with surfacing of a document in which Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje allegedly backed the immigration plea of scam-tainted IPL chief Lalit Modi.



Holding that Raje has no moral ground to continue in office, Surjewala demanded "immediate resignation" of the Chief Minister and added that the BJP was trying to defend an "indefensible case".

Questioning the "silence" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the entire episode, Brinda Karat (CPI-M) said it was a "height of hypocrisy".

She was responding to the surfacing of a document, which said to have emanated from the Lalit Modi camp and had a confidentiality clause in which Raje purportedly supported Modi's case but did not want it to be revealed to Indian authorities.

"It is absolute political double standard. What is the leadership of BJP doing? Why is the Prime Minister silent? What is his role in the whole episode?" Karat said.

Rajasthan PCC chief Sachin Pilot sarcastically asked what was the ground for Raje to this, if Swaraj acted on 'humanitarian' ground.

Alleging that it was "complete criminality", Pilot says "the mask of BJP is coming off".

Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that Raje's relations with Lalit Modi are well-known and alleged that "all limits of corruption were surpassed" during previous five-years rule of Raje in the state when Lalit Modi was a frequent visitor there.

KC Tyagi (JD-U) also talked about the proximity of Lalit Modi to Raje during her previous term as Rajasthan Chief Minister.

Late in the evening, Raje distanced herself from the document saying "I do not know what documents they are talking about."

Asked if it was a media trial, she said that "it is left to you to decide."

The Raje episode came as a further embarrassment to the BJP and its government which have been battling the first major political crisis in more than a year since it assumed office.