New Delhi:
Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala is addressing a press conference on Sushma Swaraj's involvement in Lalit Modi's UK visa.
Here are the highlights:
- It is clear that the BJP was aiding a fugitive of law
- The documents point to not only the involvement of the External Affairs Minister, but the entire BJP government is involved in helping a blacklisted person
- Lalit Modi who's accused of betting, black money laundering was aided by External Affairs Minister.
- The minister has herself acknowledged her association with the tainted Lalit Modi
- Active complicity of India's External Affairs Minister, entire BJP government aiding and abetting a fugitive of law, perhaps with tacit approval of PM
- It is hard for a person with a reasonable conscience to believe that the honorable PM did not know of the active help being extended to Lalit Modi
- Unprecedented that written communication establishes a quid pro quo between the criminal in question and the minister
- It seems there is a relationship, contours of which should be revealed by PM and BJP chief
- We now have access to all those documents which runs into 200 pages
- All the objections raised earlier were cleared by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and the case was sorted 14-15 hours after the minister's intervention
- We are raising 11 questions that the PM, Sushma Swaraj, BJP must answer
- What is the relationship between Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and Lalit Modi?
- Could the External Affairs Minister withdraw the written communications of the Government of India without the consent of the present Finance Minister and the PM? Is tacit approval of the PM, then, not writ large on the issue?
- Why did External Affairs Minister of India facilitate the travel of a fugitive from one country where he was taking shelter to another country and back, without insisting on sending him back to the country of his origin, i.e. the home country, to face the law?
- Why did the External Affairs Minister not direct the Indian Embassy in UK to give temporary travel documents to Lalit Modi to travel one way from UK to Portugal and a second set of travel documents for coming for Portugal to India? Was this done to oust the jurisdiction of Indian courts? What is humanitarian about facilitating the return of a fugitive to his hideout?
- By facilitating Lalit Modi to escape the Blue Corner Notice and other summons that were sent to him, is Sushma Swaraj not an abettor and should an FIR not be filed?
- Is it not a clear case of conflict of interest on part of Sushma Swaraj?
- Regarding prior permission needed by Portugal - no such consent is required under Portuguese law
- Sushma Swaraj says the travel documents were for the treatment of his wife. Documents show that Lalit Modi wanted to travel for a marriage. Which one of these contradictory versions is correct?
- Why did the ministry not file an appeal in a higher court?
- How did Sushma Swaraj give the undertaking that India-UK relations will not be affected?
- What is the current stand of Finance Ministry, Income Tax authorities and Enforcement Directorate vis-a-vis Lalit Modi?
- Not demanding the PM's resignation, we're saying his conduct needs to be examined
- We want the PM to answer the questions being asked by the people of this country: Kya Modi Modi ki madad kar rahe the?
- Was the PM party to helping a fugitive, money-launderer?
- If all these facts are correct then the PM has lost the moral ground to continue and would have to resign
- External Affairs Minister's position is untenable
- PM for reasons best known to him has adopted a studied silence on this issue