Lalit Modi row: AAP steps up pressure on Sushma Swaraj and Vasundhara Raje

NEW DELHI: The AAP today stepped up its attack on the Centre and the Rajasthan government and demanded the resignations of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje in the controversy pertaining to former IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi.

The party also rubbished the claims made by Swaraj and senior ministers of the Narendra Modi government who said the help offered to Lalit Modi was on humanitarian grounds and accused the BJP of helping a "deserter" and a law breaker.

Addressing a press conference, AAP spokesperson Raghav Chadha alleged that the former IPL commissioner had invested money in the company of Rajasthan CM's son and BJP MP Dushyant Singh's son companies.

"A Mauritius based company routed money in Lalit Modi's company and also gave it a unsecured loan.

"Lalit Modi's company had also bought a share, which had a face value of Rs 10, at a premium rate of Rs 96,180. The Narendra Modi government talks of bringing back black money, but it is conveniently bringing it back to the country only to BJP leaders.

"India does not have a law on conflict of interest. But it is party to the UN Convention on Corruption which states that nepotism, clientalism and favouratism are also forms of corruption," Chadha said.

He added that Swaraj and Raje should not only resign, but the latter should be booked for "treason" and "sedition" as she helped a fugitive and backed his immigration plea and wanted to keep it a secret from the Indian authorities.

Senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh said, in his interview Lalit Modi has said that he has known Raje for over 30 years and also received help from NCP leader and former BCCI President Sharad Pawar and Rajiv Shukla.

"This whole matter should be thoroughly investigated," he said.