Lalit Modi case: BJP sheds reticence, finally defends Raje
20 Jun 2015 12:55 AM GMT
The BJP’s defence came on a day Raje, who is facing a storm over her secret witness statement supporting the former IPL boss’ immigration plea in Britain, cancelled her visit to Anandpur Sahib in Punjab where she would have met party president Amit Shah and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
The BJP had put up a muted defence of Swaraj when the controversy broke out on Sunday over her help to tainted Modi get British travel document saying she had acted on humanitarian considerations but offered no defence of Raje in the last two days. Taking its attack to a new level, the Congress alleged a nexus between Lalit Modi, the Prime Minister, BJP President, Swaraj and Raje and said the only way for the government to “save” itself and the Parliament session is to make the two women leaders resign from their positions.
“We hope after Yoga Day and after ‘Lalitasan’, the Prime Minister will take some strong action,” party leader Jairam Ramesh told reporters adding “there is no other way”. Today, the BJP fielded its spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi at a press briefing in the party headquarters where he rejected the demands for <g data-gr-id="28">resignation</g> of the two top leaders.
The party strategy may have been apparently devised after separate meetings between Home Minister Rajnath Singh with the Prime Minister and between Amit Shah and the Prime Minister late last night.
To questions whether there will be action against Swaraj or Raje, he said, “The question is imaginary There is no technical and legal base that you can say there is any point of impropriety.”
Trivedi said while the party’s top leadership has made its position clear on the issue of Swaraj, the validity of the documents produced against Raje is not yet verified.
<g data-gr-id="42">No</g> connect between Joint <g data-gr-id="43">secys</g>’ transfer and Lalit Modi case: MEA
The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday termed as “baseless and misleading” reports that three Joint Secretaries were transferred to skip procedures in extending help by its minister Sushma Swaraj to former IPL chief Lalit Modi in obtaining travel documents from the UK. Spokesperson in the MEA Vikas Swarup’s remarks came in reaction to reports that Swaraj might have hastily transferred three joint secretaries to skip procedures in helping scam- tainted Modi get the travel papers in the UK which has created a political storm in the country with Opposition demanding her sacking. “The reports of the transfer of the Joint Secretaries in the Ministry are baseless and misleading. Additional Secretary heading the Europe West Division was posted as High Commissioner to South Africa in June 2014 and assumed office in <g data-gr-id="45">October,</g> 2014,” Swarup said.
Rajasthan BJP defends Vasundhara’s son
Dismissing charges against CM Vasundhara Raje’s son and MP Dushyant Singh as “propaganda” ahead of the Bihar polls, the Rajasthan BJP on Friday came out in his support, claiming that transactions between his firm and Lalit Modi were “legal”. “There is absolutely no irregularity in transactions which are legal and they have been assessed by the income tax department. “All the allegations are completely baseless and misleading ahead of the Bihar Assembly polls,” BJP state president Ashok Parnami said at a news conference. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rajendra Rathore claimed that transactions were in compliance with the Companies Act- 1956 and were between the two private companies. Showing documents, Parnami said that as many as 965 shares of Dushyant’s company were transferred and a total transaction of Rs 9,28,33,000 took place between the two companies in 2008 and 2009.
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