I/III. http://scroll.in/article/734878/will-the-bjp-sacrifice-sushma-swaraj-and-vasundhara-raje-to-maintain-its-clean-image
POLITICAL CONTROVERSY Will the BJP sacrifice Sushma Swaraj and Vasundhara Raje to maintain its clean image? The party came to power promising a clean government. The Lalit Modi affair has pushed it into a corner. Anita Katyal · Today · 09:14 am As the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is still struggling to deal with the political fall-out of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s move to obtain UK travel documents for the fugitive businessman Lalit Modi, the party was hit by a fresh political storm on Tuesday evening. This time the spotlight is on BJP’s Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje , whose proximity to Lalit Modi was well-known till the she decided to distance herself from the sacked chairman of the Indian Premier League. Documents obtained by the Times Now television channel from Modi’s public relations team suggest that Vasundhara Raje had supported Modi’s application for immigration to the United Kingdom in 2011 when he was wanted by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a series of financial irregularities. The document showed how Raje went to great lengths to keep her involvement under wraps. "I make this statement in support of any immigration application that Lalit Modi makes, but do so on the strict condition that my assistance will not become known to the Indian authorities," it said. Pushed into a corner While Vasundhara Raje has feigned ignorance about these documents, the BJP leadership has been pushed into a corner. There is a nagging fear that it will be difficult to defend itself if this controversy snowballs, revealing more names and fresh facts. Having had a dream run since it came to power last May, the Modi government is facing its first major challenge. In the run-up to the last Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had launched a high-voltage attack on the previous Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government on the issue of corruption and probity in public life. When it was in the opposition, the BJP had forced the resignations of several UPA ministers, including A Raja, Pawan Kumar Bansal, Shashi Tharoor and Ashwani Kumar, when allegations of corruption surfaced against them. Since it was so severe on the Congress when it was in power, the BJP will have a lot of explaining to do if it is seen to be straying from its electoral promise to provide a clean and transparent government. If the public mood turns against the ruling allaince, the party may be forced to revisit its decision to support Swaraj and Raje. It would not like this controversy to linger, especially since the monsoon session of Parliament is due next month and the crucial Bihar assembly elections are round the corner. A robust defence When the story surfaced on Sunday about Sushma Swaraj helping Lalit Modi obtain UK travel documents despite his passport being impounded by the Indian authorities, the party took a considered decision to stand by the external affairs minister. BJP president Amit Shah and Home Minister Rajnath Singh came out in her defence, while a battery of spokespersons was fielded to rubbish the opposition demand for her resignation and defend the minister’s decision to speak up for Lalit Modi. Keen to put up a united show, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley also broke his silence on Tuesday and came out to defend his cabinet colleague. Not known to be on the best of terms with Swaraj, Jaitley put up a public show of solidarity. Stating that all he allegations made against Swaraj were baseless, Jaitley declared: "Sushma ji acted in good faith.The minister and the party chief [Amit Shah] have given statements...she acted with good intentions. The whole government and party share the same view on this. There is no doubt on this.” He also clarified that all ministers take their own decisions but these are the collective responsibility of the government. Having stood by Swaraj, the BJP may now be obliged to back Raje though BJP officials admitted the two leaders are skating on thin ice. Like Swaraj, Vasundhara Raje is not known to have a comfortable relationship with Narendra Modi. She cemented her position in the BJP hierarchy when she delivered a blockbuster electoral victory in the assembly and Lok Sabha polls. But both have a history with Lalit Modi. Swaraj’s husband has been the businessman’s lawyer for over two decades while her daughter is a member of his team of lawyers. The absconding businessman is also known to the minister. Close ties Vasundhara Raje has publicly admitted that she has known the Modi family for years. In fact, Lalit Modi wielded immense influence during Raje’s last stint as chief minister. He brokered deals, cleared projects and fixed postings of bureaucrats while his suite of rooms at Jaipur’s Rambagh Palace Hotel was known as the de facto chief’s minister’s office. Eventually, this association with Lalit Modi is thought to have cost Vasundhara Raje the state election in 2008. Realising the heavy political price she paid for her friendship with Lalit Modi, Vasundhara Raje gradually distanced herself from him. It was a tactical retreat. She had to silence the opposition which had mounted a campaign against her for allowing Modi a free run in her administration. It was imperative for her to establish a close rapport with BJP pointsperson Jaitley to regain her position in the party and for that she had to drop Lalit Modi, who is at daggers drawn with the finance minister. After sacrificing her relationship with Lalit Modi to secure her political survival, it is to be seen if the past will catch up with Vasundhara Raje. II/III. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Lalit-Modi-put-in-Rs-11-63-crore-in-Vasundhara-Raje-sons-company/articleshow/47697808.cms Lalit Modi put in Rs 11.63 crore in Vasundhara Raje son's company Pradeep Thakur,TNN | Jun 17, 2015, 02.11 AM IST NEW DELHI: An ongoing investigation by the Enforcement Directorate against Lalit Modi and his associates has found that a firm owned by Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje's son, Dushyant Singh, a BJP MP from Jhalawar-Baran, received Rs 11.63 crore from the former IPL commissioner. A source said ED, while on the trail of Rs 21 crore that Modi's firm Anand Heritage Hotels Pvt Ltd (AHHPL) had received from unknown Mauritius-based entity Wilton Investment Ltd, stumbled on a transaction where a part of this money was used to pay Dushyant's firm Niyant Heritage Hotels Pvt Ltd (NHHPL). READ ALSO: Vasundhara Raje accompanied my wife for treatment, Swaraj-family old friends, Lalit Modi says The payment was made in April 2008 by way of an unsecured loan of Rs 3.80 crore and later by acquiring 815 shares in two installments. A total of Rs 11.63 crore was transferred by Modi to Dushyant's firm through loan and share purchase. The unusual price which Modi's Anand Heritage offered Dushyant to buy shares in his firm, floated during Raje's first tenure as Rajasthan CM, caught the attention of investigators. Modi bought these shares of Rs 10 at a premium of Rs 96,180 each. When contacted by TOI some time ago, Dushyant had defended the share premium, saying, "The decision to allot shares at a premium was a prudent business decision, based on proper valuation and also taking into account the future potential of the company." In a written response to TOI, he acknowledged the unsecured loan of Rs 3.80 crore from Modi's firm, and share purchases in the next two financial years. Dushyant and his wife Niharika are directors in Niyant Heritage Hotels in which they had invested Rs 50,000 each. The company, NHHPL, had a total authorized capital of Rs 10 lakh. The shares of the company were priced at Rs 10 each when the company was incorporated in 2005. However, when Modi bought shares in this firm, he had to shell out Rs 96,190 for each share. The transaction for 815 shares was more than Rs 7.80 crore. Sources said the ED investigation would look into whether NHHPL, when it was sold to Modi, possessed enough assets or had enough business to justify the price. Dushyant had confirmed to TOI, "AHHPL granted loan of Rs 3.80 crore to Niyant Hotels Pvt Ltd. In the next two financial years, NHHPL allotted shares to AHHPL at a premium. These are duly reflected in the account books." When asked about his links with Modi and why the later bought shares of Rs 10 at a premium of Rs 96,180, Dushyant said all that was reflected in the account books and he would not like to elaborate further. He said he was "not aware of any enquiry being conducted against us". The BJP is grappling with the storm over foreign minister Sushma Swaraj's recommendation to UK authorities to grant Modi travel documents. READ ALSO Sushma Swaraj acted in good faith, all charges against her baseless: Arun Jaitley PM must tell his 'Mann ki Baat' on row: Congress Cong for SC-monitored probe; BJP terms it a 'non-issue' III. http://scroll.in/article/734787/here-are-the-photos-lalit-modi-posted-on-instagram-the-week-his-wife-was-having-surgery-in-lisbon Snipped [Pls visit the site.] -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. 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