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Union Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj found herself at the centre of a major controversy over helping scam-tainted former Indian Premier League (IPL) chief Lalit Modi to obtain British travel documents but found strong support from the government and the the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) which rejected Opposition demands for her resignation. Here are top 10 points in the Sushma Swaraj-Lalit Modi row: (Archive)
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Sushma Swaraj hits back at journo who raked up propriety issue </br> Under attack for helping fugitive former IPL boss Lalit Modi obtain travel documents in UK, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today hit back at a TV journalist who had raked up the issue of propriety in the matter. "Look who is preaching propriety -of all the persons…," Swaraj tweeted. Swaraj has been under attack by political parties and others for helping scam-tainted Modi to obtain British travel documents after the disclosure of emails showing that she had spoken to Indian-origin British MP Keith Vaz and its High Commissioner here James Bevan seeking favours for the former cricket administrator, who had to go to Portugal, purportedly for his wife's cancer treatment in June last year. (15/06/2015) (PTI)
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2. Minister Sushma Swaraj said that this was done to lend a helping hand to treat Lalit Modi's wife who was suffering from cancer and needed treatment urgently in June, 2015. (Archive)
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3. Lalit Modi is a wanted man in India and has made London his home since 2010 to avoid a probe for alleged foreign exchange regulation violations in the IPL T20 cricket tournament held in South Africa in 2009. (PTI)
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4. The previous Manmohan Singh-led UPA government had revoked Lalit Modi's passport and had pressed for his extradition. (Archive)
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Sushma Swaraj’s disclosure sounds like case of ‘Modi helping Modi', says Congress </br> Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said that Sushma Swaraj’s acknowledgement of the role played by her office in helping former IPL chairman Lalit Modi in receiving the travel documents sounds like a case of ‘Modi helping Modi’. “This is extremely serious, grave in nature and reflects gross impropriety on the part of the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. Allegations that Sushma Swaraj and UK MP Keith Vaz helped Lalit Modi, against whom a red corner notice was issued by the ED, are indeed shocking. This makes Sushma Swaraj's position untenable,” Surjewala said. “She needs to resign in the highest of moral standards. It also raises questions. Why was the Government of India and its External Affairs Ministry helping Modi who is an ED accused and against whom a red corner notice has been issued? Was [Prime Minister] Modi helping Modi?” he added.
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Lalit Modi row: No need for husband's sign for operation in Portugal, claims Congress </br> The Congress party on Monday continued to agitate for External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's resignation in light of the Lalit Modi controversy, claiming that the 'excuse' given by the BJP for her actions is invalid. "The External Affairs Ministry is a sensitive division and to work with such a lack of responsibility… She has gone out of her way to provide Lalit Modi with help. She talks to a British MP and the British High Commissioner and Lalit Modi gets the requisite travel papers in 24 hours," Congress leader PL Punia told the media."Sushma Swaraj acted on humanitarian grounds to facilitate Lalit Modi, who has been accused of laundering several hundred crores. They say it is so that Modi could visit his ailing wife in Portugal and sign papers before the operation is conducted. However, as per Portuguese law, it is not a requirement to obtain the signature of the husband for any surgical operations," he added.
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7. Refuting all allegations, Sushma Swaraj said, “What benefit did I pass on to Lalit Modi – that he could sign consent papers for surgery of his wife suffering from Cancer?… He was in London. After his wife’s surgery, he came back to London. What is it that I changed?” (Archive)
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External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Vasundhara Raje are presently in the middle of a controversy for helping Lalit Modi.
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![With sting in the tail, Amit Shah defends Sushma Swaraj in Lalit Modi row </br> Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah defended Sushma Swaraj for helping former IPL chairman Lalit Modi receive travel documents, while taking a jibe at the Congress for allowing other fugitives to escape the country. "Sushma Swaraj ji has already made her stand clear via Twitter. The matter is quite simple. An Indian national had asked Sushma Swarajji for her help so that his wife could undergo treatment. Sushma ji talked to a British MP to request that the national be helped if Britain's rules permit the same," Shah said. "I cannot understand why such a big controversy is being created. This is not a matter of moral ground. This is not similar to [Bofors scandal accused Ottavio] Quattrocchi or [former Union Carbide Corporation CEO Warren] Anderson being allowed to escape India. Some people are trying to turn this into a political matter, but their expectations are useless," he added.](https://www.financialexpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/sushma-Swaraj-Ep2-L.jpg)
With sting in the tail, Amit Shah defends Sushma Swaraj in Lalit Modi row </br> Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah defended Sushma Swaraj for helping former IPL chairman Lalit Modi receive travel documents, while taking a jibe at the Congress for allowing other fugitives to escape the country. "Sushma Swaraj ji has already made her stand clear via Twitter. The matter is quite simple. An Indian national had asked Sushma Swarajji for her help so that his wife could undergo treatment. Sushma ji talked to a British MP to request that the national be helped if Britain's rules permit the same," Shah said. "I cannot understand why such a big controversy is being created. This is not a matter of moral ground. This is not similar to [Bofors scandal accused Ottavio] Quattrocchi or [former Union Carbide Corporation CEO Warren] Anderson being allowed to escape India. Some people are trying to turn this into a political matter, but their expectations are useless," he added.
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Swaraj Sushma must go; PM Narendra Modi protecting Lalit Modi, says Rahul Gandhi</br> Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi today asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to sack Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj over the Lalit Modi controversy as he rejected her "humanitarian" ground argument and mounted a fresh attack on the NDA Government. Rahul Gandhi targeted the Prime Minister over the controversy, saying "one Modi is standing by another Modi.” He added, “PM Modi had promised to bring back black money to the country and deposit Rs 15 lakh in everyone’s account. Now they are supporting black money masters on humanitarian ground." Asked whether Sushma Swaraj should resign, he said, "Absolutely. PM Modi should sack her." He accused the Prime Minister of protecting the tainted cricket administrator and said "(Narendra) Modi is standing by (Lalit) Modi." Swaraj is at the centre of a raging row for helping fugitive former IPL chief Lalit Modi, who faces money laundering charges. (15/06/2015) (Archive)
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