Congress accuses Prime Minister of helping 'fugitive' Lalit Modi

The Congress on Monday asked whether External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj acted on the instance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and helped 'absconder and fugitive' former IPL chairman Lalit Modi in securing the travel documents despite a look out circular issued against him.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said that Prime Minister Modi's conduct needs to be examined.

"Is there a connection, what was the relationship if any that Prime Minister had with Lalit Modi? Was the External Affairs Minister acting at the instance of the Prime Minister? Was Prime Minister party to helping an absconder and a fugitive? Was Prime Minister helping a money launderer? Was Prime Minister helping a person against whom there was a look out circular from his own government? If all these facts are correct then the Prime Minister will have to resign," said Surjewala.

"The Prime Minister will have to explain to people of India by answering these relevant questions. If these facts are correct then the Prime Minister has lost the moral right to continue as Prime Minister," he added.

Sushma Swaraj had on Sunday said she had taken a humanitarian view of Lalit Modi's case since his wife was suffering from cancer.

She further said that British MP Keith Vaz had spoken to her and added that she believes that giving an Indian citizen 'emergency travel documents' cannot spoil relations between India and the UK.

Vaz, who is facing an inquiry in the UK over the role he played in Lalit Modi receiving his travel papers, said that he had checked with the Indian Government before taking any action and added that he had received a 'no objection' from New Delhi.