Modi remark row: Former IPL boss Lalit Modi threatens to take Rahul Gandhi to court in UK

PTI, Mar 30, 2023, 2:58 PM IST

Image Source: Republic World

Former IPL chief Lalit Modi, accused of financial irregularities in India, launched a scathing attack on Rahul Gandhi on Thursday and threatened to take the senior Congress leader to court in the UK over his ‘Modi surname’ remark.

Lalit Modi, 59, also hit out at the Congress party for referring to him as a “fugitive of justice” even though he had never been convicted of any charges.

In a series of tweets, which lacks punctuation and grammar, Lalit Modi also hailed himself as the man behind the ”greatest sporting event in this world,” claiming that it has generated close to USD 100 billion.

He also posted images of his grandparents to say that his family has done more for India than the Gandhi family.

“I see just about every Tom, Dick and Gandhi associates again and again saying I am a fugitive of justice. why? How? and when was I to date ever convicted of same,” reads the tweet.

“Unlike #Papu aka @RahulGandhi now an ordinary citizen saying it and it seems one and all opposition leaders have nothing else to do so they too are either ill- informed or just vendetta prone. I have decided to take the @RahulGandhi at least him to court in UK right away. I am sure he will have to come up with some solid evidence. I look forward to seeing him make a complete #fool of himself,” it adds.

Lalit Modi’s attack on Rahul Gandhi came nearly a week after the former Congress chief was convicted in criminal defamation case and was sentenced to a two-year jail term by a Surat court for his ‘Modi surname’ comment.

The conviction has since led to Gandhi’s disqualification as a Member of Parliament.

In his Twitter thread, Lalit Modi accused several Congress leaders, alleging them to be as “bag men” of the Gandhi family and of having “overseas assets”.

He also claimed that he can provide the details.

“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,” he tweeted.

”Let not 1 Congress leader forget that from early 1950’s the Modi family has done more for them and our country then they can ever imagine.

”I too have done more than they can ever dream of doing. So keep barking scam-tainted looters of India like the very own Gandhi family,” he added.

The businessman, who has been based in the UK since 2010, said he will return to India as soon as stringent libel laws are passed in the country.