Why bring Dawood in Lalit Modi debate?

Congress hits streets in Rajasthan demanding resignations of Vasundhara and Sushma

GN Bureau | June 18, 2015


#lalit modi   #dawood Ibrahim   #Mumbai   #rajasthan   #vasundra raje   #sushma swaraj   #gurudas kamat   #congress  

As the cacophony over Lalit Modi hits unbearable decibels, the arguments and comments are becoming irrational or say childishly pedestrian.

Gurudas Kamat, AICC general secretary and party's Rajasthan in-charge hit the desperate button and asked "Sushma Swaraj claims to have helped Lalit Modi on humanitarian grounds. Would she or the prime minister help Dawood Ibrahim and other gangsters also to travel to India if they made such appeals? Is this a new policy of the Narendra Modi-government — that of helping defaulters and culprits who are being chased by the enforcement agencies?"

This is a preposterous argument of comparing economic offenders with criminals, who are facing serious charges like terrorism and death of innocents. Kamat comes from Mumbai, where Dawood’s notoriety is a matter of folklore and the reference to the ganglord is a habit on the streets. But Kamat, who has been in politics for long, needs to improve his quality of political discourse.

For the record, the Congress in Rajasthan held a executive committee meeting in Udaipur on Wednesday and passed a resolution demanding the resignations of external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and chief minister Vasundhara Raje. Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Sachin Pilot said that party workers across the state would take to streets from Thursday to press for the resignations.

Swaraj and Raje were accused of secretly facilitating former IPL czar Lalit Modi, who is wanted by the Enforcement Directorate for alleged forex violations. Accusing Swaraj and Raje of misusing constitutional posts, the party demanded that cases be registered against the duo under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Former chief minister Ashok Gehlot demanded that Raje should explain why her son Dushyant Singh's company received investments from Lalit Modi.

Gurudas Kamat joined with his comments and said, "Lalit Modi purchased shares in the company of Raje's son at a much higher price. To return the favour, Raje exercised her influence over the British authorities in a letter showing off her family background and political strength to help Modi get immigration documents."

Meanwhile, ​ Congress leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge has said “humanitarian grounds don't call for violation of law; rules can't be violated no matter how much the compassion.”

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