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Lalit Modi – Volcanic explosion in the India politics

The controversy over Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj helping corruption-

accused former Indian Premier League (IPL) boss Lalit Modi obtain British travel documents has triggered the first controversy in the Modi government. The opposition accuses the government of protecting Lalit Modi. The government, the BJP and the RSS had rallied around External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in the wake of charges that she had helped former IPL chief Lalit Modi, facing a number of cases in India, secure travel documents in the UK.Keith Vaz, the senior Labour MP of the Indian origin, has used the name of Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj to put pressure on Sarah Rapson, the head of UK visa and immigration, to grant IPL founder Lalit Modi the travel papers for the United Kingdom. Leaked correspondence from Mr. Vaz, to the Home Office, shows invoking the names of Ms. Swaraj and Sir James Bevan, the British High Commissioner to New Delhi in an effort to expedite Mr. Modi’s case. In less than

24 hours after Mr. Vaz, the then chairman of the powerful House of Commons home affairs selects committee has called Ms. Rapson and Mr. Modi was granted his travel papers.In his letter to Ms. Rapson, Mr. Vaz said: “The Foreign Minister of India has spoken to me, making it very clear that the Indian government have no objection to the travel document being granted. Mrs. Swaraj has also spoken to Sir James Bevan, who, even though he was on leave, said he would speak to the relevant person in the Home Office. Frankly, everyone has been involved in this apart from Ban Ki-moon.”

While the government continued to firefight over the Modi-Swaraj issue,

Rajasthan CM Raje’s name cropped up in the controversy adding to its headache. The revelation about Raje was made in a document released by Lalit Modi’s legal team. It was mentioned that Raje, who was then the leader of opposition in the Rajasthan assembly, had given a

“Witness Statement” in August 2011 to British authorities supporting his case for immigration in Britain. Raje had allegedly said she was in favour of Modi’s immigration application on the strict clause that her name will not be revealed to the Indian authorities.

Congress has stepped up its attack against Rajasthan Chief Minister

Vasundhara Raje in the Lalit Modi controversy, saying it had conclusive proof that the BJP leader favoured the former IPL chief. The Opposition party released a copy of an affidavit to the court signed by Raje supporting Lalit Modi’s immigration application to the UK in 2011.“Lalit Modi is the symbol of black money stashed outside and Sushma Swaraj is protecting him. It is not Sushma Swaraj, who should resign, but it is the Prime Minister Modi, who should sack Sushma Swaraj because he said he would bring back black money,” Rahul Gandhi told reporters at Kudmura village in Korba district of Chhattisgarh.

“It’s a tale of two Modis. First Modi, that is Lalit Modi, the master of black money who is sitting outside [the country]. Second Modi, who is the Prime Minister and who had promised to bring back the black money. But when it came to bringing back Lalit Modi, he [the Prime Minister] is saying that we [the government] have helped him on humanitarian grounds because his relative is ill. Here in Chhattisgarh, poor tribals are suffering due to animal attacks, but the PM cannot help them on humanitarian grounds,” said Mr. Gandhi.

The Modi government was appreciated by one and all and even the

opposition was afraid that they have lost their relevance due to the honest and transparent functioning of the government. The present controversy has damaged the reputation of the government a lot. It is very difficult to regain the faith of the people of this country. Let’s wait and see what is more in store for Modi government.