Lalit Modi issue: Congress meets Prez, demands action against Vasundhara Raje

New Delhi, Aug 11: Upping the ante on Lalit Modi controversy, Congress today sought President Pranab Mukherjee's intervention and demanded the resignation of Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje saying her continuance has become "untenable".

Accusing Raje of her "direct involvement" in helping a fugitive, AICC general secretary in-charge for Rajasthan Gurdas Kamat also attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying why the Prime Minister, who had given a slogan of corruption free India, failed to act against Raje.

The delegation consisting over two dozen Congress leaders from Rajasthan, led by Kamat, met Mukherjee here. After the meeting, Kamat said Congress is hopeful that action will follow against Raje as during the meeting they have made a "fervent appeal" for action against her.

Alleging that Raje's involvement in "facilitating" travel documents to former IPL Chairman was a "proven fact", Rajasthan Congress chief Sachin Pilot said, "We have given a written petition to the President seeking immediate sacking of the chief minister as she has committed various offences and impropriety with regard to her official dealings."

He said while Raje was the Leader of Opposition during Congress regime, she had given an affidavit in court in support of former IPL boss, who is alleged to have violated rules of ED, FERA and FEMA.

Claiming that Raje, as an MLA, had given a written affidavit in support of someone who had violated Indian law, Pilot said, to help, support and submit the affidavit in the foreign court for someone who has transgressed Indian laws... we believe that it is criminality.

"I believe the Rajasthan CM should have resigned by now because constitutionally, legally, and morally, she cannot change her position," he said. Recalling Modi's Lok Sabha poll pitch of "Na Khaoonga Na Khaane Doonga (Neither I will engage in corruption nor will I allow anybody to do so), former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said the Prime Minister was now keeping "silent" while Raje was "running away" from the media.

AICC general secretary C P Joshi, Leader of Opposition in Rajasthan, Rameshwar Dudi, former Union Minister Namo Narayan Meena Congress MLAs, and other party office bearers also accompanied the delegation.

The delegation, which spent over 15 minutes with the President, rued that despite passage of more than a month since they met him, no action has followed against Raje.

PTI