Lalit Modi says Rahul received his hospitality at cricket match

 Rahul Gandhi on Saturday was at the centre of the ‘Lalitgate’ controversy as the former IPL boss posted pictures of the Congress vice president “receiving his hospitality” at a cricket match.

In a series of tweets, Lalit posted a couple of his pictures with Gandhi and his brother-in-law Robert Vadra purportedly at an IPL cricket match. Also seen in the pictures are actor Shahrukh Khan, his wife Gauri Khan and actress Deepika Padukone along with others.

“I hope @OfficeOfRG (office of Rahul Gandhi) informed @INCIndia (Congress) that he was a beneficiary of my hospitality. He sat in my box,” Lalit said on Twitter.
Cong to defense

The Congress was quick to dismiss the allegations as baseless. “Does one become an accused by merely clicking a picture with someone in the crowd,” asked AICC General Secretary Digvijaya Singh.

Congress spokesman Ajay Maken said Lalit was merely trying to help the Modi government by making attempts to divert attention from serious charges against senior BJP leaders.

“Chotta Modi (Lalit) is trying to help Bada Modi (Narendra Modi) by tweeting images to help the ruling party,” Maken said.

Congress has described Lalit, under the Enforcement Directorate scanner for alleged financial impropriety, as a “fugitive”.

Earlier, Lalit had tweeted that he “bumped into” Congress president Sonia Gandhi's daughter Priyanka and her husband Robert Vadra in a London restaurant last year.
He had also tweeted that Congress leader Kapil Sibal had chatted over three days during a wedding in Istanbul.

Lalit’s links with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje have kicked off a political storm, with the Congress demanding their resignations.