Lalitgate: No wrongdoing by Sushma Swaraj, says Union Minister Sadananda Gowda

Thiruvananthapuram: Union Law Minister Sadananda Gowda today said External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj's helping Lalit Modi was purely on humanitarian grounds and there was no sort of "collusion with matters pertaining to corruption."

"Sushma Swaraj did it on humanitarian grounds. Well, doing some thing on humanitarian grounds is part of country's culture," he told reporters here.

"On the face there is nothing collusion with matters pertaining to corruption," he said.

"We should act on humanitarian grounds. One person who is affected by cancer (Modi's wife) and she is on death bed and needed some help," Gowda said while asserting that the External Affairs Minister had not done anything wrong.

"But nowhere, Sushma Swaraj spoke about illegal transaction or any other--only some travel document, for a specific purpose. No transaction or business that come anyway near corruption," he added.

Taking a dig at Congress and other Opposition parties for slamming BJP-NDA on the issue, Gowda said Congress had no locus standi to take up the issue "as it does not come under corruption. They are attacking the government, as they did not get any other issue," he added.

Gowda also rejected reports that suggested ministers were not able to take decisions. "As far my ministry is concerned, there was no interference from any quarter," he said.

On his Ministry's priority, Gowda said government's aim is to make law simple and accessible to common man. Many rotten laws that create confusion would be deleted from the statute, he said.

"Government also plans to make arbitration law simple to speed up arbitration process to resolve disputes without delay. That will definitely attract more investors to the country," he said.

"Steps are also on way to speed up disposal of pending cases in courts. Nearly 2.64 crore cases are pending from Supreme Court to subordinate courts in the country."

"More Lokadalats to settle cases out of court would be held in the country. For speedy clearance of pending cases, government is also in the process of improving the infrastructure of judiciary for the same," Gowda said.

Vacancies of judges in high courts also would be filled. "Another priority area of the government is to provide legal aid to poor in the society." Later, he inaugurated yoga classes for journalists at the press club as part of International Yoga Day celebrations.