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Sushma Swaraj would have helped Lalit Modi's wife without breaking law: Sonia Gandhi

by IBNS 07 Aug 2015, 09:28 am

New Delhi, Aug 7 (IBNS) Dismissing as "theatrics" Sushma Swaraj's defence on the Lalit Modi controversy, Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Friday said the External Affairs Minister would have helped tainted cricket boss Lalit Modi's wife without breaking law.

"Sushma Swaraj does drama, she is an expert in theatrics," the Congress President said giving the minister a tongue lashing. 

While making a statement in the Lok Sabha on Thursday on her alleged help to Lalit Modi to get UK travel documents, Swaraj  had said, "Lalit Modi's wife is innocent, has broken no laws... I want to ask Sonia Gandhi, what would she have done in my place?"

The Foreign Minister told Parliament that she extended no favours for Lalit Modi. The only assistance she provided was to Lalit Modi's wife, who is "an Indian citizen and asked for the support of her husband as she travelled to Portugal for treatment for cancer."

The Congress has been on an unrelenting agitation demanding Swaraj's resignation for her help to a "fugitive" and the situation has led to deadlock in Parliament.

 No Congress lawmaker, including Mrs Gandhi, was present in the Lok Sabha when Mrs Swaraj made her statement; they are all boycotting House proceedings for the five days that Speaker Sumitra Mahajan has suspended more than half the party's MPs for.

Lalit Modi left the country in 2010 amid controversies over a series of corruption charges against him. Last year he was  allowed to accompany his wife from London to a hospital in Portugal. 

 Swaraj said the only role she played was in informing the UK government that if it chose to give him travel documents, relations with India would not be affected.