Tarun Gogoi accuses PM, Sushma Swaraj, Vasundhara Raje of helping Lalit Modi

GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today accused the Narendra Modi government of helping "known offender" Lalit Modi and claimed that their support for him amounted to impropriety.

"The whole Modi government and the party (BJP) are extending support, help and all facilities to known offender and tax evader Lalit Modi," Gogoi alleged while talking to reporters here.

"The Foreign Minister of the country is helping a person who has a red alert issued against him... Vasundhara Raje is helping him.

"Without the Prime Minister's support how can his ministers and party members help Lalit Modi? What does it mean? The whole government's support amounts to impropriety," he said.

On BJP's charge that opposition was targetting Swaraj as she was a woman, Gogoi said, "No question of a man or a woman. She has supported a known offender. It is like helping Dawood Ibrahim (crime syndicate leader) on humanitarian ground.

"Only black money holders are being protected by the Modi government," he said and asked "Who financed their (BJP) election with crores of rupees?"