Congress alleges quid pro quo in MoU between Raje govt and Lalit Modi

New Delhi: Mounting pressure for resignation of Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, Congress on Friday alleged a “quid pro quo” in a MoU between her government and tainted former IPL boss Lalit Modi for setting up a cancer hospital in Jaipur. [caption id=“attachment_2314538” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje with Lalit Modi. PTI[/caption] Congress also rejected any “links” between Lalit Modi and the Gandhi family after BJP made the allegation seizing on a tweet by the former IPL Commissioner that he had “run into” Priyanka Gandhi and Robert Vadra in a London restaurant. It termed ‘Lalitgate’ as an index of “Gujarat model” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Alleging that Lalit Modi was working at the behest of BJP to divert attention to “non-issues”, the party released a copy of a MoU between Rajasthan government and Lalit Modi in October regarding the cancer hospital, saying it’s a case of public money being “sloshed for crony gratification” in a ‘quid pro quo’. Facing Opposition heat over help extended by Raje and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to Lalit Modi regarding his travel documents in the UK, BJP latched on to his tweet and alleged links between him and the Gandhi family. Rejecting the allegation, Congress chief spokesperson Randip Surjewala said, “Looking into each other is neither improper nor a crime by any strength of imagination. There was no social interaction of any nature between Lalit Modi and Robert Vadra or Priyanka Gandhi.” He said that instead of “diverting attention”, let the government answer the “pointed questions on corruption and quid pro quo of the help” given by a Union Minister and a Chief Minister to a “fugitive” of Indian law, who is named in crimes committed under FEMA, IPC. Senior leader and party spokesperson CP Joshi wondered what is there to clarify when Lalit Modi had himself said that he had run into Robert and Priyanka. “This is not allegation. You are taking inference out it. What is to clarify when Lalit Modi has already clarified?. It is a coincidence. What can anybody do if some one appears before some one in a restaurant?” Joshi said. When pressed further, he said who is he to give a clean chit to anybody when the statement of Lalit is itself sufficient. “Did Priyanka go to meet him. He had run into them,” Joshi said reiterating the demand for resignation of Swaraj and Raje over the Lalit Modi row. Alleging that all the norms were flouted in the MoU signed between Medical Education Department of Rajasthan and Champalimaud Foundation of Portugal, on October 2 last year for establishing a centre of excellence in Jaipur for cancer care, Joshi said one is astounded at the “magnitude of quid pro quo that is getting unearthed every day between Raje and the fugitive friend of BJP, Lalit Modi.” He said after the affidavit by her in favour of Lalit to stay in UK away from the reach of Indian authorities and law, it is now apparent that she “blatantly violated” the Government Financial Rules (GFR), Codal Formalities and all laid down procedures of financial, tendering and administrative propriety to help the Portuguese medical facility that was treating Lalit Modi’s wife. “This is even more glaringly collusive when viewed in light of the fact that Raje had accompanied Meenal Modi, wife of Lalit Modi, to the same Champalimaud Foundation twice in 2012 and 2013,” he said. The Congress leader said that despite “murky deals, crony favours and quid pro quo” surfacing, the “BJP chooses to shamelessly defend her and Prime Minister Narendra Modi maintains a conspiratorial silence”. The MoU does not look like an agreement of equals rather it is a “quid pro quo and a favour done”. “The dots in this deal are very easy to connect and establish not only impropriety but a clear case of corruption in which money of the public exchequer is being sloshed for crony gratification,” he said. Calling it a “sweet deal”, Joshi said that under it, 8.7 acres of prime land worth hundred of crores in Jaipur were given to the Champalimaud Foundation and the government was bearing the entire cost of civil construction of the project besides bearing the entire cost of machine and equipment needed at the Foundation. “While on the one hand, in a project involving disbursement and disposal of public resources worth hundreds of crores, no tendering/bidding requirements have been met, on the other hand, it has also been ensured that the beneficiary foundation does not invest a single paisa into the project. “To top it all, the said Centre, once it comes up shall not be owned and governed by the Government of Rajasthan but by a Society that will have representatives of the Champalimaud Foundation. This society will not be subjected to any Government process/ procedure,” Joshi said. He said BJP’s brand of ‘patriotism’ and ’nationalism’ emanates from helping black-money hoarders, money-launderers and Indian fugitives of the ilk of Lalit Modi. “Gujarat model’s new form has come. You see how the elder Modi is helping the younger Modi. The MoU by Raje is another form of the Gujarat model of quid pro quo,” he said. PTI