'What benefit did I pass on to Lalit Modi', asks Sushma

Amid demands for her resignation for helping former Indian Premier League chairman Lalit Modi with his travel documents, External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj on Sunday justified her stand on the entire controversy.

The minister shared her thoughts via twitter.

"What benefit did I pass on to Lalit Modi - that he could sign consent papers for surgery of his wife suffering from Cancer ?" she tweeted.

"He was in London. After his wife's surgery, he came back to London. What is it that I changed?" she added.

The Congress Party has demanded that Sushma be dismissed from the Union Cabinet as she helped a 'fugitive' Lalit Modi.

AICC spokesman Randeep Surjewala said that it proves to be a clear cut case of gross impropriety on the part of External Affairs Minister.

"It makes her position completely untenable. It is now established that Sushma Swaraj ji was helping a fugitive of law of India, was helping a person against whom Enforcement Directorate of India has issued a blue corner notice or a lookout circular for money laundering, for foreign exchange management act violations and for other several offences to the tune of 700 crores," Surjewala told the media here.

"A fugitive who is being investigated by nonetheless than the highest authorities of Income Tax department of India for Gross Financial irregularities, for illegal betting, for duping various people and authorities. Why was Foreign Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj helping a fugitive of law, who was being investigated by the Finance Ministry, Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax Authorities," he added.

Swaraj had earlier in the day said that 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 on the same, adding 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 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.