Congress accuses Sushma, Raje of violating central laws

The Congress on Monday accused External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje of "violating" the central laws in their dealings with former IPL chief Lalit Modi.

Asking Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "break his silence" on the issue, the opposition party also attacked Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's statement on Raje's son.

Addressing a press conference here in the presence of former union minister Jairam Ramesh, Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad put five questions to the prime minister if Sushma Swaraj and Vasundhara Raje had violated the Prevention of Corruption Act, Prevention of Money Laundering Act, Foreign Exchange Management Act and the Passport Act.

Ramesh alleged that the two had violated these four central laws.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's statement in the US, where he is now visiting, that the financial dealings between Raje's son Dushyant Singh and Lalit Modi were "commercial transactions" would influence the Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe into the matter, said Azad, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha.

On the dealings of Dushyant Singh, the BJP MP from Jhalawar-Baran constituency in Rajasthan, with Lalit Modi, Azad said: "The finance minister says these are commercial transactions. His statement will influence the ED. I suspect the ED will not be able to move further."

Lalit Modi is facing ED investigations for alleged tax evasion.

Azad said the party was sticking to its demand for the resignation of Sushma Swaraj and Raje, and demanded that the prime minister should speak out on the controversies faced by these two BJP leaders.

"(We are) slowly coming to the conclusion that the prime minister is party to this (matter)," Azad said.

Sushma Swaraj has been accused of helping former Indian Premier League chief Lalit Modi in getting British travel documents on "humanitarian grounds" to travel to Portugal in 2014 as his Indian passport stood revoked.

Raje is accused of testifying in favour of Lalit Modi's British immigration application in 2011.