Congress demands apology from Modi over Sonia remarks

New Delhi : Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi should apologise now that his allegations that the central government spent Rs.1,880 crore on UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s foreign visits and medical treatment abroad have been proved false, the Congress said Tuesday.

“Modi should apologise to the nation and to the Gandhi family now that it is proved that his allegations on Soniaji’s foreign visits and her treatment abroad were wrong,” said Congress leader Rajiv Shukla.

Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari termed Modi’s remarks an attempt at gaining cheap publicity. “Whatever has been said is baseless and untrue,” he told reporters.

When he asked if the party would demand an apology from Modi, Tewari said Modi was sticking to the chair with glue and did not have the stature to tender an apology.

The Congress spokesperson hit back at Modi saying the real issue in the state was the embezzlement worth Rs.1 lakh crore from the exchequer. He said documents for the misappropriation had been given to the Central Vigilance Commission by Congress MPs.

“If he has the courage let him order a suo motu court-monitored probe into the charges,” said Tewari, adding that “the people of Gujarat would hold him accountable as his tall developmental claims were like castles of sand”.

Shukla said the person who had filed the Right to Information application seeking these details has told media that he never got any information on this and the figures given by Modi are wrong.

“Not a single penny from government coffers was spent on Gandhi’s treatment. Even the editor of the newspaper, which Modi quoted, has said that it is false,” said Shukla.

Modi had criticised the central government Monday for questioning the Gujarat government for spending money on festivities and celebrations. He said the state should not be questioned when the central government has itself spent Rs.1,880 crore for Gandhi’s foreign trips and “treatment abroad” over three years.

Gandhi went abroad Sep 1 for a routine medical check-up and returned after a week. She had gone to the US for a surgery related to an undisclosed ailment last year.