New Delhi: With controversy brewing over former Indian Premier League chief Lalit Modi's visa, the United Kingdom government on Tuesday clarified that travel documents were given in accordance with rules. The remarks came just days after India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj admitted that she had no objection to Modi's request to be allowed to travel out of UK. Sushma clarified that she had intervened on humanitarian grounds as Modi's wife needed treatment in Portugal.
UK Home Office said, "We do not routinely comment on the detail of individual cases. This case was determined in accordance with the appropriate rules."
The statement from the UK government came at a time when the Narendra Modi government is under attack from all quarters for helping Modi. With the opposition in no mood to relent, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi said, "Lalit Modi is a symbol of black money guy and Narendra Modi is defending him. It's not about Sushma Swaraj. Narendra Modi runs the country and he is saving Lalit Modi."
The Congress party continued its offensive against the government over the issue and claimed that it was not just about travel papers, but about the protection being given to "a criminal" by the NDA government.
The Bharatiya Janata Party is also on front-foot defending its minister and backing her action. Dismissing all allegations against his Cabinet colleague Sushma, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said that all allegations against her were "baseless".
Modi had earlier been restricted from travelling out of UK. His Indian passport was revoked amidst allegations of match fixing.
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