NEW DELHI: As Congress escalated its attack against the government releasing pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah with former IPL chairman Lalit Modi while seeking action against Sushma Swaraj; the BJP and several ministers returned the fire as they strongly defended the external affairs minister.
Senior BJP leaders like Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Venkaiah Naidu, Prakash Javadekar, Rajiv Pratp Rudy defended Swaraj saying no wrong has been done and help was extended on humanitarian grounds. While ally Shiv Sena defended Swaraj, a BJP MP Kirti Azad stirred the pot hinting at party’s insider behind the news story.
The BJP fielded environment minister Prakash Javadekar to officially respond to the Congress charge saying the opposition had gone bankrupt in terms of ideas and was raising a non-issue. Javadekar instead launched a counter attack asking Congress pointing fingers at Rahul Gandhi saying opposition should explain where was their leader had gone on vacation and on what visa.
“Its bankruptcy of ideas and politics that Congress is releasing pictures of Narendra Modi with Lalit Modi during a public event,” Javaderkar said.
“It was in 2010, during a cricket match in Ahmedabad that when Narendra Modi was Gujarat chief minister and chairman of Gujarat cricket association, while Amit Shah was vice-chairman and Lalit Modi IPL chairman. At that time there was no case against Lalit Modi. This is banckruptcy of ideas they are realising pictures,” Javadekar said adding that there were even pictures of Congress leader like Jyotiraditya Scindia and Rajiv Shukla with Lalit.
The BJP dismissed Rahul Gandhi’s statement asking PM to sack Sushma. Javadekar said he will not respond to such irrelevant demands. When Sushma Swaraj has clarified and BJP chief Amit Shah has responded, there no point of debate. He said went a step further to say even Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have pictures with all the accused of scams like Coal, 2G, CWG.
As the controversy raged on for second day, several ministers and leaders spoke in Swaraj’s favour.
Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, "Sushma is above all suspicions. Her entire life has been transparent...She had told the British government to act within rules and regulations in connection with (Lalit) Modi's case. What is wrong with it?"
Dismissing opposition’s demands for Swaraj’s resignation Chouhan said that she just made a request for a cancer patient on "humanitarian grounds" as per the rules.
Urban Development minister Venkaiah Naidu said, "External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is doing a wonderful job. Nothing illegal, nothing immoral has been done. Let us not try to politicise issues, which are done on humanitarian considerations."
Skill Development minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy said, “The way Sushma ji is being shown by the media is really unfortunate, wrong, and unacceptable.
Shiv Sena also came out in support of Sushma said, "The way the External Affairs Ministry had performed under Swaraj, it has become a strong pillar of the Modi government. So she is being targted to weaken the government and destabilise it," Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said after meeting Sushma.
Samajwadi party leader Ram Gopal Yadav supported the external affairs minister.
While, Sushma did not respond as the controversy raged on. She hit out at the journalist who had done the story against her questioning her propriety.
While many of the BJP leaders were shy of reacting, BJP MP from Bihar and former cricketer Kirti Azad pointed towards BJP’s insider who could be behind the leaks.
Another BJP MP Shahtrughan Sinha appeared to second Azad. “Kirti Azad is a good friend of mine, whatever he would have said, he would have thought about it,” Sinha said.