‘Modi surname’ row: Lalit Modi again threatens to sue Rahul Gandhi in UK
Former Indian Premier League (IPL) chief Lalit Modi, who has been living in the UK since facing allegations of corruption in the IPL, has threatened to sue Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his “Modi surname” remark and for calling him a “fugitive of justice.”
Modi took to Twitter on Thursday (March 30) to lash out at Gandhi, saying he “look(ed) forward to seeing him make a complete fool of himself” and that the “Modi family” has done more for the country than the Congress “can ever imagine”.
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Lalit’s Modi’s tweet comes a week after Gandhi was convicted by a Gujarat court in a defamation case. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lalit Modi, and fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi, Gandhi said at an election rally in 2019, “How come all thieves have the common surname Modi?” He has been sentenced to two years in prison and subsequently disqualified as a Lok Sabha MP.
addresses and photos etc. lets not fool the people of india who are the real crooks. #Gandhifamily who have made it as if they the entitled ones to rule our country. yes i will return as soon as u pass stringent liable laws. 🙏 jai-hind
— Lalit Kumar Modi (@LalitKModi) March 30, 2023
not even a penny to date has been proven i took in last 15 years. but what is clearly proven i created the greatest #sporting event in this world that has generated close to 100 billion dollars. let not 1 one #congress leader forget that from early 1950's the #modi-family has…
— Lalit Kumar Modi (@LalitKModi) March 30, 2023
“Never proven I took a penny”
Questioning Gandhi’s basis for calling him a “fugitive of justice,” Modi said it was never proven that he took even a penny, but it has been “clearly proven (that he) created the greatest sporting event in (the) world that has generated close to 100 billion dollars.”
Modi said he had decided to take Gandhi to a UK court “right away” and that he would have to come up with some solid evidence, but since he seemingly would not be able to do that, he looked forward to seeing Gandhi “make a complete fool of himself.”
Also read: Why Rahul Gandhi faces jail in ‘Modi surname’ defamation case
Modi also named several Congress leaders and asked them how they had “overseas assets,” claiming to be able to provide the addresses and photos of those properties. He said he would return to India as soon as the country passes stringent libel laws.
In 2019, too, after Gandhi made the contentious remark, Lalit Modi had tweeted threatening to sue him. “Rahul Gandhi says ‘All Modis are chors (thieves). Well, he will be taken to court in the UK by me. But reality is that the world knows (five) decades of daylight looting of India was done by none other than the Gandhi family,” Modi had tweeted tagging PM Modi.
(With agency inputs)
