Congress questions PM's silence on Lalit Modi issue

The Congress on Thursday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's continued silence on the Lalit Modi controversy and threatened to hit the streets if Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje doesn't resign.

"We are open to exploring all avenues including meeting the president and the state governor to demand that the Rajasthan chief minister is sacked if she doesn't resign on her own," Congress leader Sachin Pilot told media persons here.

"Every Congress worker will be on the streets now in the entire state to demand the resignation of Vasundhara Raje," he said.

Accusing the BJP of having double standards -- one for common people and one for its ministers, he said: "If an average citizen of this country had given an affidavit in a secret manner to help a fugitive, he would have picked up by police.

"The BJP cannot run away from the fact that its top leadership is involved in abetting a fugitive."

Pilot said as far as the BJP was concerned, it was unable to decide whether Lalit Modi is a victim or a fugitive.

He also questioned the prime minister's silence on the issue.

"What is the reason for the prime minister's silence. People who have deliberately broken the law and have more or less accepted it now... why is the BJP shying away from taking action against them."

"The BJP has to face the reality and accept that their chief minister had violated the law. Time has come for them to come clean and for them to face the truth," he said.

"The prime minister must immediately take action. The Congress has demanded resignations of three ministers," Pilot said the prime minister's silence was hurting the credibility of his government as well as of his own.

The Congress on Wednesday cited documents carrying Raje's signature in support of former IPL chief Lalit Modi.