Gogoi slams NDA government over Lalit Modi issue

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Wednesday slammed the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government for supporting External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who is currently under fire for helping former IPL chief Lalit Modi.

Besides Swaraj, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has also been linked with the issue. Gogoi said the Narendra Modi government has exposed its nexus with Lalit Modi and the black money holders by extending support to both Swaraj and Raje.

"The manner in which the Modi government and his party are rallying behind Sushma Swaraj and Vasundhara Raje in their bid to help former Indian Premier League (IPL) chief Lalit Modi, who is an absconder and money launderer, the NDA government aptly made evident its link with not only Lalit Modi but with all black money holders," Gogoi said while addressing a press conference here on Wednesday.

"The Centre is giving protection to all the black money holders. Lalit Modi is a known offender against whom there is a red alert. So the whole episode exposes the inclination of the Modi government towards the corrupt and offenders," he said.

Gogoi added that these black money holders like Lalit Modi had sponsored the election campaigns of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

"The BJP had promised that they would bring back the black money from Swiss banks within 100 days of their government. Now, one can guess why the black money from foreign banks has not been brought back yet," the Assam chief minister added.