Lalit Modi's First Response on Row Over Sushma Swaraj Helping Him With Travel Papers in UK

Mumbai: Former Indian Premier League boss Lalit Modi today came out with his first response over a snowballing controversy over Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj helping him gain emergency travel papers in Britain.

Mr Modi's lawyer Mehmood Abdi is addressing a press conference in Mumbai. Here are the highlights:
 

• We present our perspective on the issue
• The non-issues have been blown out of proportion and a situation has been created as if heaven has fallen
• It is the favorite topic of my media friends to tarnish Lalit Modi on any pretext
• Fugitive and offender are legal terms which can't be used so generously as the media is using
• Fugitive or offender is a legal term and a court has to declare
• Some channels have been saying Lalit's wife was not ill. Are they aware of medical advise?
• It is the height of irresponsibility and insensitivity
• Blue corner notice is a fabricated document; from the day he went to England, Lalit Modi has been communicating with Enforcement Directorate (ED) and police, so where is the need to issue a blue corner notice.
• Lalit Modi has been staying with knowledge of everybody in UK, by following due process of UK immigration laws.
• Interpol secretariat says no blue corner notice has been issued, this claim that has been flying around for the last 2 days has been demolished.
• Since Lalit Modi broke that connection of late Mrs Sunanda Tharoor's sweat equity by his tweets, he has been hounded by the agencies in India.
• Entire UPA government was after Lalit Modi, they tried to scuttle his chances of getting permission to stay in UK
• Police files show Dawood was actively following Lalit Modi... but his security was withdrawn in 2010, after which he went to the UK because security is a very private matter.
• The people who have got A Raja to Jamai Raja should introspect and not talk of propriety.
• Honourable foreign minister did not intervene, lived up to her duty to help any Indian outside the country who is in trouble
• They are drawing parallel between Dawood Ibrahim and Lalit Modi. They have no sense of balance.
• Entire case of Lalit Modi's passport was argued and order was reserved during UPA's period, no conflict of interest.
• This is a political jamboree, people who are in political wilderness, vagabonds are trying to catch eyeballs.