MoS for External Affairs V K Singh defends Sushma Swaraj, targets Chidambaram

HYDERABAD: Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh today sought to defend his senior cabinet colleague Sushma Swaraj who is under fire for links with Lalit Modi, and pointed out that former finance minister P Chidambaram's wife had represented an accused in the Sardha chit-fund scam.

"What is happening is, many things are being blown out of proportion. Lot of noise is being made. For example, it was said that because Sushma-ji's daughter is Lalit Modi's lawyer, so something is fishy.... Chidambaram's wife is a lawyer in Sardha scam. Should he come under scanner for that? I leave this question to you," Singh told reporters here.

Nalini Chidambaram, a Supreme Court lawyer and the senior Congress leader's wife, was examined by CBI last year in connection with Sardha case.

When asked why no union minister, or even the BJP, seemed to be coming to the defence of Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, who too is facing the heat because of her links with the tainted former IPL boss, Singh said, "Ask this question to (BJP chief) Amit Shah.

"Regarding Vasundhara Raje, everyone knows she knows Lalit Modi for long, because he is from Rajasthan. If she knows him, what is new in that? I don't understand," he said.

Singh was speaking on the sidelines of a Yoga convention here.