Lalit Modi, Vasundhara Raje conspired to convert govt property into luxury hotel: Congress

Jairam Ramesh added that Congress had documents to back the claims

New Delhi:

The Congress on Monday alleged that former IPL chairman Lalit Modi and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje conspired to convert the Dholpur Palace, a government property, into a luxury hotel, adding that they had documents to back their claims.

"The first thing that has been established is that the fugitive Lalit Modi and Vasundhara Raje are business partners. The second fact which has been established is that Lalit Modi got Rs 21 crore from Mauritius and invested in Dushyant Singh's company. The third fact is that Vasundhara Raje signed a seven page document for UK Authorities to abet Lalit Modi. There have been three lies, three cover-ups by the BJP and Vasundhara Raje. Today, we are exposing the fourth fact of this episode," Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said at a press briefing.

"Today, we present you the documents where Lalit Modi and Vaundhara Raje changed government property into personal property. In 1954, the Dholpur Riyasat merged with the Union in Independent India and in 1977, the Dholpur Palace was made government property. Despite the Dholpur Palace being the property of the government, Raje and Lalit Modi proceeded to convert it into a high-end private luxury hotel," he added.

Ramesh also alleged that Raje's husband had admitted the same in 1980.

"The magnitude of quid pro quo, the financial relationship between Raje and her fugitive friend and partner Lalit Modi are getting unearthed everyday... We sadly have to state that Vasundhara Raje's husband in 1980 had made a statement saying that the Dholpur Palace belongs to the government," he said.

The BJP, which has been defending External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj despite opposition demands that she be sacked for helping Lalit Modi, was hit with another worry last week when the former IPL boss claimed that Raje secretly supported his immigration plea in Britain.

The Congress has mounted pressure on Raje after the emergence of a letter reportedly carrying her signature, in which she backs Lalit Modi's application in the UK.