Lalit Modi Alleges Political Vendetta By Congress: 'Rahul Gandhi Attacks Me Every Election'
Lalit Modi Alleges Political Vendetta By Congress: 'Rahul Gandhi Attacks Me Every Election' Published By, Last Updated: June 04, 2026, 11:45 IST Lalit Modi accused
Lalit Modi Alleges Political Vendetta By Congress: 'Rahul Gandhi Attacks Me Every Election' Published By, Last Updated: June 04, 2026, 11:45 IST Lalit Modi accused Congress leaders of pursuing a campaign against him, alleging political pressure during the Kochi IPL controversy and questioning the lack of legal action. A file photo of Lalit Modi (PTI) IPL chairman Lalit Modi has alleged that he has been subjected to sustained political targeting by Congress leaders over the years, claiming that Rahul Gandhi repeatedly attacks him in speeches and election campaigns despite no case being proven against him in nearly two decades. In an interview with news agency ANI, the businessman, who is currently based in the United Kingdom, questioned why his name continues to be invoked in political discourse and claimed that he has become a convenient target for political attacks. Speaking about the frequent references to him by Rahul Gandhi, Lalit Modi said he is repeatedly singled out whenever political issues arise or elections approach. “Every time you look at Parliament, or you look at the speeches of Mr Rahul Gandhi, he always attacks me. Every time there’s an election, he attacks me. Every time there’s some issue that comes up, I’m being attacked. Why am I being attacked by the Congress government?" Lalit Modi asked. He also questioned why authorities had not taken legal action against him if there was evidence of wrongdoing.
“Seventeen years you haven’t taken me to court. How can you arrest me today? If there was something there, it would be out. Anything that I have done, or could have done, in the 17 years would have already been cleared. That is why there is no case against me," he said. ‘I SELL NEWS BECAUSE CRICKET IS SO BIG’ When asked about Rahul Gandhi’s criticism of other prominent businessmen such as Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani, Lalit Modi argued that his situation was different because of his association with cricket. “They don’t sell newspapers. They don’t sell news. I sell news. Because cricket is so big. Cricket has become so big. Cricket has put me in the limelight," he said. Lalit Modi also said that while he was not afraid of legal proceedings, he was concerned about what he described as politically motivated efforts against him. “I’m not afraid of the law. What I’m afraid of is that you have some people who are political. Whether they sit in the opposition or they sit anywhere else, they have an axe against me. And they also have a lot of clout. So they stirred up," he said. SONIA GANDHI BACKED THAROOR DURING KOCHI IPL ROW: LALIT MODI Lalit Modi also revisited the controversy surrounding the Kochi IPL franchise and made fresh allegations regarding political intervention during the dispute.
He claimed that powerful figures within the then Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government rallied behind Shashi Tharoor after questions were raised about the ownership structure of the Kochi franchise. When asked who was backing Tharoor during the controversy, Lalit Modi responded, “Sonia Gandhi." He further alleged that several senior Congress leaders reached out to him during the dispute. “All guns were trained on me from every side. I got calls from Ahmed Patel. I got calls from Pranab Mukherjee in those days. I was friendly with everyone of them. You had Rajiv Shukla coming up to me, telling me, do this, do that," he claimed. According to Lalit Modi, the dispute stemmed from concerns he raised regarding equity distribution within the Kochi consortium, particularly involving Sunanda Pushkar. “All the shareholders were there except for the lady, Sunanda Pushkar. You’re giving away 25 per cent shares to a lady called Sunanda Pushkar. Who is she? You’re giving up 15 per cent of the revenue. Who is she?" he recalled asking consortium members. He further claimed that the structure of the consortium did not make financial sense and raised questions about the allocation of equity. “How can somebody pay USD 350 million for a consortium where 75 per cent of the shareholders are paying 100 per cent of the cost, and someone else is getting 25 per cent free equity?" he said.
‘ALL GUNS WERE TRAINED ON ME’ Lalit Modi claimed that opposition to his stance intensified after he refused to overlook the issues he had identified within the consortium’s ownership structure. According to him, pressure came from multiple quarters as the controversy unfolded. He alleged that he came under attack from influential political figures and that efforts were made to persuade him to proceed despite his objections. The former IPL chief maintained that his actions were driven by concerns over transparency and the financial viability of the franchise structure. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author Vani Mehrotra Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has more than 10 years of experience in national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks. First Published: June 04, 2026, 11:45 IST News india Lalit Modi Alleges Political Vendetta By Congress: 'Rahul Gandhi Attacks Me Every Election' Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments...
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