Cong asks PM to take up Lalit Modi extradition issue with UK during visit

New Delhi: Congress on Thursday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take up the issue of former IPL chairman Lalit Modi’s extradition during his ongoing visit to UK and to ensure that the “fugitive” and “black money exporter” is brought back. Taking potshots at the Prime Minister, Congress said this was the only visit where Modi can “fetch a lot for India in terms of concrete achievements”. [caption id=“attachment_2378858” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Lalit Modi. Reuters[/caption] If Modi does not bring him (Lalit Modi) back, people will believe that “big Modi is helping the little Modi”, Chief Spokesperson of the party Randeep Surjewala said in New Delhi. “Congress party hopes and demands that Prime Minister takes up the issue of deportation of Indian fugitive and black money exporter Lalit Modi with his counterpart in UK,” he said. Addressing a press conference at the Congress headquarters, Surjewala claimed that independent analysis show that Modi’s 29 foreign visit have brought back little for the country “except selfies, photographs and promotion of Brand Modi”. Pointing out the “links” of Lalit Modi to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhra Raje, the Congress spokesperson said Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had “compounded the confusion” by his contradictory statements. He said Modi cannot hide behind technicalities of extradition law as the new Immigration Act of 2014 allows UK to deport any fugitive who is not its national. “Prime Minister is well advised to ensure that Lalit Modi is immediately deported and hopefully brought back to India simultaneously when Narendra Modi comes back. Otherwise India will believe what it always suspects that big Modi is helping little Modi,” he said. PTI