Congress raps BJP for helping fugitives, law breakers on humanitarian grounds

New Delhi: Demanding that the letter written by the then finance minister P. Chidambaram to UK on former IPL boss Lalit Modi be placed in public domain, the Congress on Wednesday alleged that the ruling BJP's strategy from the very beginning is to help the law breakers, terrorists and fugitives on humanitarian grounds.

"Indian National Congress makes three demands from the Prime Minister. We demand the letters written by the Congress led-UPA government and the then finance minister P. Chidambaram, as also the proceedings of the meeting held by the then finance minister P. Chidambaram with UK's chancellor of the exchequer or their Finance Minister George Osborne, be forth with released by the Government of India, released by Prime Minister and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and be placed in public domain for everyone to see," Congress leader Randeep Surjewala told press briefing here.

"We demand that the proceedings of the meetings that took place between George Osborne and P. Chidambaram be placed in public domain. We demand that the proceedings of the meeting that took place between Sushma Swaraj on one hand and British envoy to India Sir James Bevan's proceedings which we believe were recorded and proceedings of which are available both with the UK's Foreign Ministry as well as also with India's Foreign Ministry be forth released and be placed in public domain so as to ensure full disclosure of what was said by India's Foreign Minister to British envoy Sir James Bevan," he added.

Surjewala further demanded External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to make a full disclosure of how many times she spoke to Lalit Modi and met him.

"From Maulana Masood Azhar to Lalit Modi, from Kandahar, Afghanistan, to London, United Kingdom, from former external affairs minister Shri Jaswant Singh to current External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, BJP's strategy is same- help law breakers, terrorists and fugitives on humanitarian grounds," he added.

"On humanitarian grounds, terrorists who export terror today from Pakistan soil like Maulana Masood Azhar were released in Afghanistan. And on humanitarian grounds, Indian fugitives like Lalit Modi are now being helped by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, by Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje," he added.

More than two years ago as finance minister, Chidambaram had asked the British Government as to why it was not taking action against Lalit Modi who had taken refuge in London after he was accused of a wide range of financial impropriety, including money laundering.

Chidambaram had taken up the issue during his meeting with the Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne in 2013.

He had wanted Britain to deport him as Lalit Modi's passport was impounded in India and his UK visa had run out.