New Delhi, Nov. 12: The Congress today said Narendra Modi's 29 foreign tours so far had nothing to show except "selfies and tamasha" but added that the Prime Minister could ensure something substantial on his 30th trip: Lalit Modi's deportation.
The Prime Minister today reached the UK - where the disgraced cricket czar is based now - in the first leg of his latest round of foreign visits that will also take him to Turkey, Malaysia, Singapore, France and Russia.
"We demand that the Prime Minister take up the issue of deporting the proclaimed criminal and fugitive Lalit Modi with his British counterpart, and ensure his deportation to India at the earliest," Congress communications chief Randeep Surjewala said.
Lalit is wanted in money-laundering cases and the Opposition alleges he has been able to stay out of the reach of Indian law-enforcing agencies with help from some BJP leaders.
"The Prime Minister is aware that the incessant lies of his colleagues Sushma Swaraj and Vasundhara Raje with an aim to protect Lalit Modi have been exposed thoroughly," Surjewala said. "His finance minister Arun Jaitley has only confounded the confusion. The Prime Minister himself can't make further excuses by hiding behind technicalities of extradition laws."
Jaitley had said the UPA initially did not pursue the cases against Lalit seriously.
Surjewala, who addressed a media conference, claimed that independent analysis had shown that Modi's 29 foreign visits had brought back little for the country "except selfies, photographs and promotion of Brand Modi", as the Congress pressed for Lalit's deportation since extradition would take around a decade.
The Congress made it clear it was eager to revive the Lalit controversy ahead of Parliament's winter session, which starts later this month.
"The Prime Minister will be well advised to get Lalit Modi back and ensure that the forthcoming session of Parliament runs smoothly. Any reneging on this front will only go ahead to establish that, as we have been saying in this entire murky game..., Bada Modi is protecting Chhota Modi," Surjewala said.
The Congress also slammed the government for reneging on its promise to ex-servicemen on one-rank, one-pension, saying their protest had now entered its 151st day.
"Ex-servicemen have returned and burnt 22,000 war medals till today and another 10,000 are being returned over the next 24 hours. The defence minister humiliates them by describing their conduct 'as unlike of soldiers'. Modi has not found time to even meet and listen to their grievances," the party said.
Surjewala alleged that the scheme announced by the government would adversely affect around 30-40 per cent of service personnel who choose to retire prematurely.
The Congress alleged that the campaign by the BJP and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad over Tipu Sultan was part of their agenda to divide society on religious lines. "If this government is committed to protecting India's Constitution, it should rein in different outfits which are creating hatred in the country," Surjewala said.
Surjewala contended that every ruler had positive and negative traits, and asked if the BJP knew that the "Tiger of Mysore" constructed and preserved temples and worked for communal amity and the welfare of the poor. He also cited Tipu's valiant struggle against the British.
