In Lalit Modi Scandal, Vasundhra Raje May Have to Fend for Herself: Sources

Jaipur:  Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje will have to fend for herself in a scandal around corruption-tainted cricket boss Lalit Modi, her party has reportedly decided for now.  

Mr Modi has claimed that after his Indian passport was revoked in 2011, Mrs Raje, who he describes as a long-term and close family friend, backed his appeal for immigration to the UK with a written statement.  

Mr Modi is wanted in several cases of corruption, money-laundering and tax evasion in India.  

BJP law-maker Chandan Mitra told NDTV last night, “Mrs Raje herself needs to clarify this issue till that is done, we from the outside cannot possibly comment.” However, BJP leaders in Mrs Raje’s home state of Rajasthan denied that they have been asked to avoid a defense of Mrs Raje.   

“There is no gag order asking us not to support her,” said Ashok Parnami, the president of the BJP in Rajasthan.  He also denied reports that BJP president Amit shah has refused to meet Mrs Raje in the midst of the surging scandal which includes allegations of an business deal between her son, Dushyant Singh, and Mr Modi.

Mr Modi’s proximity to two top BJP leaders has landed the party in a surging controversy. Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj’s intervention last year prompted UK officials to allow Mr Modi to travel to Portugal.  At the time, his passport had been impounded by India. Mrs Swaraj has said her assistance was based on “humanitarian grounds” so that Mr Modi could accompany his wife to a cancer specialty hospital in Portugal for  treatment.

The BJP has supported Mrs Swaraj, denying any wrongdoing.

Mrs Raje wrote an affidavit in August 2011 supporting his immigration plea to UK authorities,  Mr Modi has alleged, adding that a confidentiality clause was part of her statement.” The statements she gave is all on records in the courts,” Mr Modi said in an interview.

Indian authorities impounded Mr Modi’s Indian passport in 2010 – by this time, he had moved to the UK after becoming embroiled in an omnibus of  false accounting and money-laundering allegations in the multi-million dollar Indian Premier League.

He has denied all accusations against him and a court in Delhi ruled last August that his passport should be restored – a verdict the government has yet to appeal.