FOCUS POLITICS Dr Anil Singh
A cursory glance at various media reports on Sushma Swaraj vs. Lalit Modi controversy reveals a wide variety of so-called conspiracy theories doing the rounds
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Some observers feel Sushma Swaraj’s action has punched a big hole in the BJP government’s claims of corruption or scam-free governance. It has been opined that Sushma’s problem is she has never been a “people’s person” and never “went out of her way to seek out cadres or lower-rung leaders to coax and cement loyalties” and now finds herself being stranded
TEXT
The furore generated in the backdrop of External Affairs Minister
Sushma Swaraj helping controversial former commissioner of the Indian Premier League (IPL)Lalit Modi in obtaining a UK travel permission on ‘humanitarian’ ground has raised more questions than it has answered. This controversy has seen support coming for her from the BJP top brass and the Opposition up in arms demanding her resignation.
Undoubtedly, the minister has maintained silence other than her
clarification on Twitter where she admitted that Lalit Modi was
allowed to travel on humanitarian ground; nevertheless, media reports point to the fact that she was linked to Lalit Modi on a more personal level. According to one media report, while Sushma’s daughter Bansuri Swaraj — a lawyer by profession — represented Modi for seven years, the Union minister’s husband Swaraj Kaushal gave legal counsel to the disgraced former IPL commissioner for over two decades.
Lalit Modi has been away from India for almost five years now in
relation to an Enforcement Directorate case for alleged violation of Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). Lalit Modi’s arrival in UK in 2010 in the wake of mounting allegations of match-fixing and illegal betting related to IPL cricket tournament prompted the Union Government to revoke his Indian passport in March 2011, but it was restored by the Delhi high court in August 2014. However, Lalit Modi has denied any wrongdoing and says he left India for Britain because of death threats.
What triggered controversy was the publication of a news report in British newspaper The Sunday Times pertaining to an email conversation between Indian-origin UK lawmaker Keith Vaz and the head of UK’s immigration department, Sarah Rapson, where the MP said Swaraj facilitated travel documents for the disgraced IPL chief.
The top brass of BJP, including party president Amit Shah, minister Rajnath Singh and many other senior ministers have come to the rescue of Sushma Swaraj. Amit Shah has been among the most vociferous in her defence and has insisted that she had acted in a ‘humanitarian’ manner and it was a case of an Indian helping an Indian. While virtually rejecting the Opposition demand for Sushma’s resignation, Amit Shah said that there was no issue of moral grounds. In defence of Sushma Swaraj, Rajnath Singh said: “We want to make it clear that whatever she has done is right. We justify it and the government completely stands by her.” As per media reports, even the RSS has come out in her support: “Sushmaji is full of nationalism and humane nature. Whatever she might have done would be guided by these.”
In October 2013, at a press conference in Jaipur, the then
spokesperson of the BJP and the present minister of state for commerce and industry Nirmala Sitharaman called Lalit Modi a fugitive. Annoyed by his tweets on the BJP, she asked, “Who’s he…? A fugitive from law, he cannot question the BJP, we abide by the law of the land.” Now, when the BJP is in power, it is Sushma Swaraj who assisted Lalit Modi with his travel documents. What she did, as one analyst points out, was to help a ‘fugitive’, as Sitharaman had dubbed him two years ago.
Major Opposition parties have been critical of Sushma Swaraj helping the former IPL chief. Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said in New Delhi, taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi: “People are asking ‘Is Modi helping Modi? What we have witnessed today involves blatant quid pro quo, direct help to a fugitive from law, internecine warfare between the top echelons of government and unraveling of the nexus between the BJP leadership and its crony criminal friends… Swaraj should immediately step down.”
While terming Swaraj’s claim of helping Modi on ‘humanitarian’ grounds as bogus and a statement not standing scrutiny of facts, another Congress spokesperson has reported: “According to Portuguese law, it is not required of a husband to sign papers before his wife goes under surgery. There was a circular from the government of India asking the British government to not allow him to travel abroad. So, what the minister is saying is very weird.”
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has alleged the external affairs minister had fallen victim to a factional fight within her party which was witnessing a ‘gang war’, in which a target has been placed on her because she is a powerful leader within the BJP and a possible prime ministerial candidate in the future. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) said Swaraj should explain to the nation why she chose to help the ex-IPL commissioner despite an alert issued against him by the government.
A cursory glance at various media reports on Sushma Swaraj vs. Lalit Modi controversy reveals a wide variety of so-called conspiracy theories doing the rounds. One is that the leak of the UK politician Vaz’s emails was facilitated by Lalit Modi’s rivals and that other emails could be leaked into the media in the coming days as a lobby in the BCCI against Modi strengthens its case. Another report indicates that the leaked emails were intended as an attack on UK Labour leader Keith Vaz, who quoted Swaraj’s name in an email while pleading Modi’s case. Swaraj, it is said, is just collateral damage in a bid to let down Vaz. Another version claims that Swaraj may be the victim of an internal feud in the BJP that has remained unresolved since Narendra Modi became Prime Minister. This version finds echo in the tweets of
AAP leader Ashutosh and RJD’s Manoj Jha.
Some media reports citing BJP sources indicate about Sushma’s exit from the cabinet in near future. One media report says Sushma’s position has become ‘untenable’ and the Prime Minister will have to only choose the time of her exit. He won’t buckle under Opposition pressure but will act when the situation suits him. For now, the PM has not said a word about the controversy and that silence likely speaks volumes; nonetheless, it is still unclear as to what is being said.
Some observers feel Sushma Swaraj’s action has punched a big hole in the BJP government’s claims of corruption or scam-free governance. It has been opined that Sushma’s problem is she has never been a “people’s person” and never “went out of her way to seek out cadres or lower-rung leaders to coax and cement loyalties” and now finds herself being stranded. Whether she manages to stage her comeback with honour or is shown the door will be clear in the days to come.
The writer is Executive Editor with Aaj Tak.