BJP not embarrassed by Sushma-Modi row, Sadananda Gowda

Asserting that BJP is not embarrassed by Sushma Swaraj helping Lalit Modi, Union Law Minister D V Sadananda Gowda today hit back at Congress saying it was the previous UPA government that allowed the former IPL chief to "run away" from the country.

"As far as Sushma Swaraj is concerned, the party is not embarrassed. Doing something for a person who is suffering from cancer (Modi's wife) is not an issue to be discussed," he told PTI here.

Gowda said BJP and government were behind Swaraj because she helped Modi out of humanitarian consideration and did not make any attempt to stall the proceedings against the former IPL chief, who is facing money laundering and other charges.

On the political firestorm over Vasundhara Raje, who allegedly backed Modi's immigration plea and face trouble over reports that the former IPL chief had invested Rs 11.63 crore in a firm owned by her son Dushyant Singh in 2008, Gowda said the party would "certainly" look into the matter.

"As far as Raje's case is concerned, my party will certainly look into the matter. Our party will go into the details and only after getting the particulars take a decision on what needs to be done," Gowda added.

Strongly defending Swaraj, he said, "The whole party and whole government is behind Sushma Swaraj because humanitarian consideration has to be given importance... If someone's wife is suffering from cancer, is it not the responsibility of the individual whoever it might be - minister or an ordinary individual - to help him to just to go for treatment?"

"Whether Sushma Swaraj has told anything about his illegal activities? Not to go ahead with proceedings against him? How this should be tagged with that?" Gowda asked.

He said, "Just because Sushma Swaraj's daughter helped the brief of Lalit Modi does it amount to any irregularity? Any advocate is at liberty to hold brief - that was not the brief after she became the minister. These are the silly issues being raised by Congress."

Training guns on Congress, Gowda accused it of giving an impression that the BJP is behind Lalitgate.

"This is an issue of 2010. All these things have happened during three to four years when the Congress ruled the country. They allowed him to run away from this country.

"The then UPA government never took any initiative and proceedings against Lalit Modi. Now they are shouting as if everything is been done by BJP," Gowda said.