Make public minutes of Swaraj-Bevan meeting: Cong

New Delhi, July 1

The Congress today sought to make more trouble for the government on Lalitgate issue, putting forth six demands, including making public minutes of a meeting it claimed External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had with UK High Commissioner James Bevan in which she had favoured grant of travel documents to Lalit Modi.

The party also wanted the Prime Minister to answer whether any Union Minister’s relative received any job offer from Lalit Modi recently.

Pitching for full disclosure by the government, Congress’ chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala claimed that Swaraj has herself admitted that the meeting with the UK High Commissioner had taken place.

“Minutes of the meeting in which help for Lalit Modi was sought have been recorded. They are with the External Affairs Ministry and they should be made public,” he told reporters.

Surjewala also demanded that any communication by Sushma Swaraj with Bevan or UK Foreign Minister on the matter be released.

He wanted the Prime Minister to explain whether any relative of a Union Minister was made any job offer by Lalit Modi recently and what was the nature and type of the job offer.

Insisting that such an offer was indeed made, he said that there was no mention of it on the website of the PM though rules of government business demand that any minister must keep the PM informed about any such offer.

Demanding sacking of Swaraj, he reminded the Prime Minister that the Congress had adhered to the “highest standards of propriety” by asking for resignation of Madhavsinh Solanki and Natwar Singh when allegations were made against them while they were External Affairs Minister.

He said “moral and constitutional propriety” demands that the Prime Minister ask Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje to resign.

He also demanded resignation of HRD Minister Smriti Irani who is embroiled in a controversy over her educational qualifications. — PTI