Rajasthan government signed MoU with Portugal hospital in 2014, months after it treated Lalit Modi's wife

New Delhi: In a fresh twist to former Indian Premier League chief Lalit Modi's visa row, nexus has been revealed between senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders and Modi. It is revealed that Vasundhara Raje-led Rajasthan government signed an Memorandum of Understanding with the Portugal hospital where Modi's wife was treated.

Rajasthan government signed an MoU with Lisbon-based Champalimaud Foundation and it was done in the presence of the Chief Minister. The MoU was signed on October 2, 2014, two months after Modi's wife underwent treatment.

The Rajasthan government has allotted 35,000 square feet of land to the Portugal hospital.

The Bharatiya Janata Party is in a tight spot ever since External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj admitted that she had no objection to Modi's request to be allowed to travel out of UK and spoke to this effect with British MP Keith Vaz and the British High Commissioner. Sushma clarified that she had intervened on humanitarian grounds as Modi's wife needed treatment in Portugal.

Earlier in the day, the government reiterated its complete support to Sushma Swaraj over Lalit Modi visa row. Dismissing all allegations against his Cabinet colleague Sushma, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that all allegations against her were "baseless".

Upping the ante against the Narendra Modi government, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi said, "Lalit Modi is a symbol of black money guy and Narendra Modi is defending him. It's not about Sushma Swaraj. Narendra Modi runs the country and he is saving Lalit Modi."

The Congress party continued its offensive against the government over the issue and claimed that it was not just about travel papers, but about the protection being given to "a criminal" by the NDA government.

Dismissing Swaraj's claim that her act was driven on humanitarian grounds, Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma said that the "humanitarian cause" point was a "false tear jerker".

Addressing a press conference in the national capital, Sharma termed the "situation created by the External Affairs Minister" as "scandalous".