‘Lalitgate’: Cong renews demand for Sushma’s sacking amid fresh revelations

Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, July 1

The BJP found itself on the defensive yet again today as the opposition Congress renewed demands for the resignation of Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj amid fresh revelations of commercial links between her lawyer husband and scam-tainted Lalit Modi.

(Read also: Lalit Modi targets Varun Gandhi)

The Congress cited a letter dated April 15, 2015, from Lalit Modi in which he made an offer of job to Swaraj’s husband Swaraj Kaushal as Director in his place on the Board of Indofil company. The offer, though withdrawn later by another letter dated April 24, was made close on the heels of Sushma Swaraj intervening with UK authorities to grant Modi permission to travel to Portugal on humanitarian grounds. Modi, wanted for money laundering by Indian finance fraud agencies, had absconded to the UK in 2010.

(Read also: ‘Lalitgate’: Cong denies offering any deal to govt)

“This is a clear case, a clinching evidence of quid pro quo. How many times did Sushma Swaraj meet Lalit Modi, how come Modi offered a job to her husband. Will the PM answer now?” Randeep Surjewala, media head of the Congress, said today.

The BJP, meanwhile, said Opposition’s desperation for attention was evident from the fact that it keeps changing the ground for resignation of Sushma Swaraj.

“The Opposition’s grounds are not substantive. That’s clear from the way they are changing ground,” Sudhanshu Trivedi, BJP spokesperson, said.

(Read also: Make public minutes of Swaraj-Bevan meeting: Cong)

The Congress, however, refuted BJP charge saying their case against Sushma has from day one been one that she helped Lalit Modi and he in return helped her husband. Swaraj Kaushal and his daughter Bansuri represented Modi in the case related to his passport impounding, a case he won and a case in which Sushma, despite being the Minister concerned, didn’t appeal in the higher court.
The latest evidence against Sushma relates to an email Lalit Modi wrote to his father KK Modi, CMD of Indofil industries on April 15 this year. Modi in the email recommended that Swaraj Kaushal be appointed as alternate director of the firm in his (Lalit Modi’s) place and be approved to attend Board meetings.

(Read also: Dholpur Palace: Cong guns for Raje with new papers)

The letter was subsequently withdrawn and Kaushal didn’t accept the job offer. But the Congress and the Left today asked if it was proper on Sushma’s part to not disclose such conflicts of interest between her family and Lalit Modi considering hers was the nodal Ministry dealing with the passport impounding case of Modi who faces a light blue notice from the Indian Enforcement Directorate for alleged financial frauds and is wanted by the Indian law.

KK Modi, Lalit's father and Indofil CMD, said the proposal was withdrawn before it could be brought for consideration by the board.

“So the board never considered that request. That's the current situation," he said.

“Lalit didn't give him (Swaraj Kaushal) power but a proposal that Kaushal be appointed as alternate director of company,” Modi said, adding there was no conflict of interest.

“No director can be appointed without following the rules and regulations which are laid out by law," Modi said.

Kaushal also admitted to being offered a position but claimed he did to accept it, after which the offer was withdrawn. He added that he was Lalit Modi’s lawyer for over 20 years. (With inputs from PTI)