Unrelenting opposition steps up the pressure for ministers’ resignation
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s inaction on Lalit Modi controversy would ‘cost BJP dear’ just as the Congress ‘had paid’ for former prime minister Manmohan Singh’s silence, said AAP’s Delhi convener
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday intensified protests against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), demanding resignation of Union Ministers Sushma Swaraj, Smriti Irani and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, and questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence on issues involving the trio.
The party’s frontal organisations mobilised scores of protesters for a rally at Jantar Mantar here who later marched towards Parliament, but were stopped by police near Parliament street police station. Led by AAP’s Delhi convener Dilip Pandey, the protesters raised slogans against the BJP trio and also Maharashtra Minister Pankaja Munde for her alleged involvement in a “Rs20 billion scam”.
Pandey attacked the prime minister saying he was “silent” as leaders like Raje had put up a show of strength by rallying “110 MLAs behind her”.
Silent out of compulsion
“Modiji is silent out of compulsion. Raje has put up a display of strength which has scared Modi,” he said. The leader said Modi’s inaction would “cost BJP dear” just as the Congress “had paid” for former prime minister Manmohan Singh’s silence.
“If Modi doesn’t ensure their resignation, people of the country would consider that to be his abdi- cation of duty,” he said. Pandey was more shrill in his attack on Raje, saying she had committed “an act of treason” by “assisting a fugitive like Lalit Modi.”
“...Swaraj endorsed Lalit Modi. They (Raje and Swaraj) seem to disregard constitutional provisions with impunity. So they have no right to continue in their posts,” he said.
The protests rent the air with slogans such as ‘(Narendra) Modi(Lalit) Modi bhai bhai ( brothers)’, and Modi ji muh toh kholo...bhrastachar pe kuch toh bolo (Modi ji, please open your mouth and speak up on corruption).”
Several AAP leaders including the MLAs Saurabh Bharadwaj and Alka Lamba took part in the protests. Bhardwaj said the party would be relentless in its demands and would continue to protest till the accused ministers are sacked.
The party leaders were heard repeatedly asking volunteers not to get into confrontation with the police. Police detained four protesters who were later released.
One had to be hospitalised as he fell ill. AAP has been aggressive against BJP and the Centre after the arrest of its leader and former Delhi law minister Jitendra Singh Tomar in a fake degree case.
Following this, it has also been demanding resignation of Irani in a case where she has given different information in three different affidavits before the election commission. It has also held protests outside residences of Swaraj and Irani over the past two weeks.
It has also been aggressive in the Lalit Modi controversy and has stepped up its attack on Swaraj and Raje, demanding their sacking.
Congress mounts pressure
Meanwhile, mounting pressure on Rajasthan chief minister on the Lalit Modi controversy, Congress on Monday accused Vasundhara Raje of “forcible, illegal occupation” of the Dholpur Palace along with Lalit Modi through a private company, a charge refuted by BJP.
Senior party leader Jairam Ramesh claimed in Delhi that Hemant Singh, the estranged husband of Raje, had admitted before a court that the palace was the property of the Rajasthan government.
He told reporters that several revenue department documents between 1954 and 2010 showed that the palace was a government property but Raje and Lalit Modi’s company has turned it into a “high end luxury hotel” and invested Rs10 billion with no role of the state government.
Incidentally, this has happened post 2009 when the state was ruled by Congress.
In Jaipur, State BJP president Ashok Parnami and Rajasthan Health Minister Rajendra Rathore rejected the charge levelled Ramesh that the Dholpur Palace does not belong to Dushyant.
Contesting Ramesh’s claim, Parnami displayed before reporters documents which, he said, clearly proved that Hemant Singh had handed over the custody of the palace to Dushyant.
He said court documents were there to substantiate this.
Ramesh said that Raje in her 2013 assembly poll affidavit had admitted having shares of the Niyant Heritage Hotels Pvt Ltd along with her MP son Dushyant Singh and daughter-in-law Niharika, and Lalit Modi.
“The election affidavit reflects that she own 3280 shares, her son and daughter-in-law about 3225 shares each and Lalit Modi’s company Ananda Heritage Hotels Pvt Ltd 815 shares, establishing the financial relationship, partnership and investment of overseas money from a tax haven,” he said.
He said it proved her business partnership with the former IPL chief, who is now a “fugitive”.
The Congress leader alleged that Lalit Modi had used the “Mauritius route” to invest in the company.
He also took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, describing him as “Swami Maunendra Baba” for his continued silence over the Lalitgate issue. Congress has been demanding resignations of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Raje over Lalitgate, of HRD Minister Smriti Irani over misrepresenting facts about her educational qualification in separate election affidavits.