Sushma in fresh trouble over Lalit’s job offer to husband

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 1

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is back in the Opposition line of fire. The Congress and Left today renewed their demand for her resignation along with that of PM Narendra Modi’s statement after it was alleged that her husband was asked by IPL former chief Lalit Modi to act as his backup or alternative on the board of one of his companies — Indofil. The BJP rallied behind Swaraj and criticised the Congress for pursuing a “baseless issue”.

In an email written on April 15, Lalit asked his father to name Sushma’s husband Swaraj Kaushal as the alternate director (in his place) on Indofil board. Kaushal acknowledged he had been offered a post by the Indofil board but added he rejected the offer.

“I am a lawyer for Lalit Modi for over 20 years. I was offered to be alternate director on Indofil board. I did not give my consent. The request was withdrawn,” Kaushal’s statement read. The Congress, however, maintained a quid pro quo was evident. “Direct web of deceit has been established. Does this not require accountability on part of a PM who says ‘na khaoonga, na khaane doonga’,” said party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi.

“Whether the job was taken is irrelevant. The fact is that one and a half year ago, the government was seeking the extradition of Lalit, a fugitive, from UK. Later, Sushma used her position as Foreign Minister to secure from UK travel permissions for Lalit.

“Sushma’s daughter was Lalit’s counsel in the passport restoration case which he won. Sushma, despite being the minister concerned, didn’t appeal against that order. Another person of Swaraj’s family was offered a job by Lalit. What’s this if not quid pro quo?” said Singhvi adding the PM’s silence indicated that the government wanted to brazen things out.

BJP’s Nalin Kohli countered the charge saying: “The Congress has run out of ideas and is desperately clutching at straws. Clearly, the Opposition is worried about the positive impact of good work done by the Narendra Modi in one year in power on the ground level and is now becoming desperate.”

Amid views that these attacks against BJP leaders such as Sushma Swaraj and Vasundhara Raje are being engineered from within the party, a section in the BJP and its mother organisation — the RSS — believes defending Swaraj may prove costly for the party.

“Lalit Modi’s offer is an evidence of close proximity between him and the family of India’s External Affairs Minister, whether or not her husband accepted Lalit Modi’s offer. Ideally Swaraj should have made disclosures about business connections between the two to the Prime Minister,” a party source said.

“There are two issues — one that Sushma Swaraj’s family has business links with Lalit Modi and two that she helped him with his travel documents. Whether or not the two issues are interrelated, these revelations have certainly increased the perceptions in the public mind about linkages between politicians and businessmen,” says an RSS ideologue.

“It may be a routine affair for lawyers but this also establishes proximity between Swaraj’s family and Lalit Modi,” the RSS functionary adds. Kohli termed it a “routine matter” for lawyers to represent their clients on various boards.