New Delhi: In Parliament today, amid loud protests from the Opposition, Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj tried to clarify the allegations that have led to a rancorous demand for her resignation. "I did not request the UK government to arrange travel papers for Lalit Modi," she said, straining to be heard above angry slogans from Congress lawmakers.
The Congress has complained that Ms Swaraj's statement is "illegal" and must be stricken off Parliament records because the minister had not sought permission from the Chair to speak.
Sushma Swaraj must resign for assisting tainted cricket magnate Lalit Modi, the Congress has said, placing her on a list of three senior BJP leaders that it says must be removed from office before it allows Parliament to function. The other two are Chief Minister Vasundhra Raje, who is confronting accusations of assisting Lalit Modi after he fled India amid a series of corruption cases, and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, beleaguered by the Vyapam recruitment scandal.
The BJP has ruled out any resignations, but, to persuade the Congress to allow Parliament to attend to important business including reforms, it has said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will speak on the controversies in Parliament if a debate is initiated. Congress chief Sonia Gandhi flatly rejected that offer this morning, declaring at a meeting of her law-makers, "Our stand is very clear... there is a mountain of incontrovertible evidence in the public domain for the Prime Minister to require the resignations of the External Affairs Minister and the two chief ministers."
For days, Ms Swaraj has said she wants to make a statement in Parliament explaining what role she played in the urgent travel papers that were issued to Lalit Modi last year to travel to Portugal with his wife so she could be treated for cancer. Earlier, the minister had said her assistance was on "humanitarian" grounds.
"Today Sushma Swaraj has cleared everything," said senior minister Nitin Gadkari.
The Congress has complained that Ms Swaraj's statement is "illegal" and must be stricken off Parliament records because the minister had not sought permission from the Chair to speak.
Sushma Swaraj must resign for assisting tainted cricket magnate Lalit Modi, the Congress has said, placing her on a list of three senior BJP leaders that it says must be removed from office before it allows Parliament to function. The other two are Chief Minister Vasundhra Raje, who is confronting accusations of assisting Lalit Modi after he fled India amid a series of corruption cases, and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, beleaguered by the Vyapam recruitment scandal.
For days, Ms Swaraj has said she wants to make a statement in Parliament explaining what role she played in the urgent travel papers that were issued to Lalit Modi last year to travel to Portugal with his wife so she could be treated for cancer. Earlier, the minister had said her assistance was on "humanitarian" grounds.
Advertisement
COMMENTS
Advertisement
Congress To Go Solo In Delhi Assembly Polls: State Chief To Party Workers "Learn From RSS": Congress' Digvijaya Singh Tells Youth Party Workers Congress' Alka Lamba Accused Of Threatening To Hit Party Worker With Shoe Amid Huge Row, Karnataka Pauses Bill For Reservation In Private Sector Firms Travel Influencer Aanvi Kamdar Dies After Falling Off A Waterfall Near Mumbai BJP Subtly Asking Ajit Pawar To Quit "Mahayuti": Sharad Pawar's NCP Biden Says Could Drop Election Bid If "Medical Condition" Emerged Russia Says It's Ready To Work With Any US Leader 3 People Die After Drowning In Lake In Telangana: Cops Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.