Swaraj says never sought travel documents for Lalit Modi

Defending herself against allegations of helping former IPL chief Lalit Modi, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on 25 July said that she never requested or recommended travel documents for him.

In a series of tweets, Swaraj, who is facing ire of the Opposition led by Congress which is demanding her resignation for helping Modi get travel documents, said it was "absolutely false" that she spoke to Keith Vaz, the British Labour MP,to allow British government to let the former IPL Commissioner travel.

"I am saying this time and again that I never requested or recommended travel documents for Lalit Modi," she said. In another tweet, the minister said, "As a Minister I am accountable to Parliament. That is the only forum to inform the nation."

On her earlier tweets when the controversy broke out where she had maintained that her gesture was based on humanitarian ground, Swaraj said, "I left this to the UK Government to decide under their own laws and regulations. And that is what they did."

"Yes I tweeted this on day one. Yet they spread falsehood .... I help people every day. That too on a single tweet.... The lady is suffering from cancer for the last 17 years. This was the 10th recurrence of cancer," she tweeted.

Reiterating her stand, she said, "I accepted a debate on the very first day of Parliament session. Congress members are not allowing a debate."

(With inputs from PTI)