New Delhi: Sharpening its attack against the Central governemnt, the Congress has dragged in Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the row over Lalit Modi's travel documents by making allegations of proximity between him and the former Indian Premier League chief. However, the BJP has rubbished any such claims by the Congress.
During a press conference, Congress chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala posed 11 questions to the Prime Minister to answer whether there was any quid pro quo in helping Modi, who has been accused salting away Rs 700 crores out of the country and was facing charges of money laundering, match-fixing and betting.
Making a video presentation at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) briefing, the party displayed three photographs of Lalit Modi with the Prime Minister and BJP chief Amit Shah before the two leaders assumed their present offices to make a point about his association with them.
In turn, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar hit back at Congress for releasing pictures of Narendra Modi with Lalit Modi and alleged that it showed its "political bankruptcy" and "cheap politics" in a bid to embroil the PM in the row.
Battling its first major embarrassment since it came to power a little over a year ago, the Bharatiya Janata Party government has come out in a strong defence of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. Speaking in favour of Susham Swaraj, Javadekar rejected Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi's demand for sacking her, saying it was illogical and did not deserve a response.
Defending Swaraj, BJP instead accused Congress of attempting to "make a mountain out of a molehill" and raking up "non-issues" and instead questioned Rahul Gandhi as to where he had gone on a sabbatical and on whose visa.
BJP said if Congress wants to indulge in such a slug fest, it can also produce hundreds of photos of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi allegedly with the accused in various scams like the Coal, 2G spectrum, Commonwealth Games and Aircel-Maxis deal.
"It is the bankruptcy of Congress politics to show a picture of a part of stadium of an IPL cricket match of 2010 in Ahmedabad and to show the photo in 2015 is the bankruptcy of ideas of Congress. Congress is doing cheap politics," Javadekar said.
The Minister said the photo showing the Prime Minister and BJP chief Amit Shah with Lalit Modi is at a public match when he was heading the Gujarat Cricket Association and there was no case against the IPL chairman at the time.
"It was a public cricket match and there was no accusation against Lalit Modi at that time," Javadekar said, adding if this is the case and logic on which Congress wants to build, then there are hundreds of pictures of Jyotiradiya Scindia with IPL chairman that time as well as with Rajiv Shukla.
Javadekar also said Sonia Gandhi and Rahul as well as other leaders have photographs with all the accused of coal scam and also have photographs with accused of CWG, 2G, Aircel Maxis and all other scams. "Have we all gone bankrupt to show old photos to prove a new point which is non-existing...Is it a slugfest or album vs album. We can give many," he said.
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, who is on a tour of Chhattisgarh, tweeted, "There is only one man running this country and government, that is Narendra Modi; Modi should stop protecting Lalit Modi. It is not a question of Sushma ji resigning, PM Modiji should sack Sushma Swaraj ji from the government." However, ignoring Rahul's demand, Javadekar said, "I do not think it proper to even answer to such irrational statements."
Javadekar added that the External Affairs Minister has given a categorical clarification and after Amit Shah's statement endorsing what she has done, "I think there is no point of debate now. But still Congress wants to boil this non-issue."
He said that by showing a 2010 photo in 2015, "the kind of politics being played by Congress is an example of their political bankruptcy."
(With PTI inputs)
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