After gunning for External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj over Lalit Modi visa row, the Congress on Monday upped the ante targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the issue.
Asserting that the External Affairs Minister could have done what she did without the consent of the Prime Minister, pointing to some "new facts" that, according to the Congress, appeared on Sunday.
Listing charges faced by Lalit Modi during a press conference in the national capital, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala pointed that the former IPL chief was "admittedly a fugitive" and "India had issued as many as eight showcause notices to him".
Citing some e-mails sent in this regard by Keith Vaz, the Congress said that the UK Labour MP had written, pushing for Lalit Modi’s travel documents. According to the Congress, Vaz had mentioned about "a friend in Government of India" who wanted the documents to be issued to the former IPL commissioner.
The Congress further alleged that Sushma Swaraj had written to Keith Vaz, saying that the government had no objection to grant of travel documents to Lalit Modi.
Furnishing documents to back the claims, the Congress posed as many as 11 new questions for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his government and the Bharatiya Janata Party.
The first question directly targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah, asking what relationship they had with Lalit Modi.
"What is the relationship between PM Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and Lalit Modi?" said Surjewala, presenting three photographs showing Lalit Modi with the Prime Minister and the BJP president.
The party also posed a question for Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj: "Could External Affairs Minister withdraw written communication and objection of government of India, without the consent of the Prime Minister, finance minister? Does it not prove PM’s role?"
Surjewala further said that there cannot be a better case of "conflict of interest". Demanding a probe into the "conduct" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress stopped short of demanding his resignation over the issue.
This came even as the Congress members staged protest against Sushma Swaraj outside her residence in the national capital.
Meanwhile, the BJP and the RSS have continued to rally behind Swaraj over the issue, dismissing the demand by the Congress party of the External Affairs minister’s resignation.
Hitting back at the Congress party, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, "The Congress has no other work but to demand resignations everyday. The party and the people of India stand with Sushma Swaraj."
NDA constituent Shiv Sena also supported the Foreign Minister over Lalit Modi visa row, with senior party leader Sanjay Raut saying, "We don’t think Sushma Swaraj has done any wrong."
Sushma had 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 even clarified that she had intervened on humanitarian grounds as Modi's wife needed treatment in Portugal.
Sushma tweeted, "Sometime in July 2014 Lalit Modi spoke to me that his wife was suffering from cancer and her surgery was fixed for August 4 in Portugal. He told me that he had to be present in the hospital to sign the consent papers. He informed me that he had applied for travel documents in London and UK government was prepared to give him the travel documents."
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