Mounting pressure for resignation of Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, Congress today alleged a "quid pro quo" with Lalit Modi in a MoU for setting up a cancer hospital in Jaipur between her government and the Portugese facility where his wife was treated.
Congress also rejected any "links" between Modi and the Gandhi family after BJP made this allegation seizing on a tweet by the tainted former IPL Commissioner that he had "run into" Priyanka Gandhi and Robert Vadra in a London restaurant. It termed 'Lalitgate' as an index of "Gujarat model" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
Alleging that Lalit Modi was working at the behest of BJP to divert attention to "non-issues", it released a copy of a MoU signed between the state Medical Education Department and Champalimaud Foundation of Portugal on October 2 last for establishing a Centre of Excellence in Jaipur for Cancer Care, saying it's a case of public money being "sloshed for crony gratification" in a 'quid pro quo'.
Facing Opposition heat over help extended by Raje and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to Lalit Modi regarding his travel documents in the UK, BJP latched on to his tweet and alleged links between him and the Gandhi family.
Rejecting the allegation, Congress chief spokesperson Randip Surjewala said, "Looking into each other is neither improper nor a crime by any strength of imagination. There was no social interaction of any nature between Lalit Modi and Robert Vadra or Priyanka Gandhi."
He said that instead of "diverting attention", let the government answer the "pointed questions on corruption and quid pro quo of the help" given by a Union Minister and a Chief Minister to a "fugitive" of Indian law, who is named in crimes committed under FEMA, IPC .
Senior leader and party spokesperson CP Joshi wondered what is there to clarify when Lalit Modi had himself said that he had run into Robert and Priyanka.
"This is not allegation. You are taking inference out it. What is to clarify when Lalit Modi has already clarified?. It is a coincidence. What can anybody do if some one appears before some one in a restaurant,?" Joshi said.
When pressed further, he said who is he to give a clean chit to anybody when the statement of Lalit is itself sufficient.
"Did Priyanka go to meet him. He had run into them," Joshi said reiterating the demand for resignation of Swaraj and Raje over the Lalit Modi row.
