Lalit Modi tweets picture of him with Rahul Gandhi, Robert Vadra

New Delhi: Former IPL chief Lalit Modi has alleged that Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and his brother-in-law Robert Vadra were beneficiaries during his tenure as IPL commissioner. Congress sources, however, dismissed the allegations and termed them baseless.

Pic courtesy/Lalit Modi's Twitter page

Senior Congress leader Ajay Maken said Lalit Modi was trying to help the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. Modi, late on Friday, posted on Twitter a couple of pictures with Rahul Gandhi and Robert Vadra, son-in-law of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, in the same frame. Modi tweeted: "I hope @OfficeOfRG (office of Rahul Gandhi) informed @INCIndia that he was a beneficiary of my hospitality. He sat in my box."

The picture, which appears to be from an IPL match, also has Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, wife Gauri Khan and actress Deepika Padukone along with others. Modi also asked if they (Gandhi and Vadra) had declared it to the Congress leadership.

Modi, who has been described as a ‘fugitive' by the Congress and is wanted by the Enforcement Directorate for alleged financial impropriety, tweeted: "My Q to #rahulgandhi and #robertvadra did you ever receive any hospitality from @lalitkmodi - and did u declare it to @INCIndia #lalitgate."

Congress spokesperson Maken, however, accused Lalit Modi of trying to help the BJP through the pictures. "Chotta Modi is trying to help Bada Modi by tweeting images to help the ruling party," Maken said. Modi also said the pictures were not altered.

After numerous controversial tweets alleging close links with politicians, Modi also tweeted in response: "That will never happen I am not into politics. But a NGO next stop. And never Modi vs Modi. Modi vs Gandhi yes." Another tweet by the twitter handler @karmritesh read: "Support for @LalitKModi is growing in the runup to clean cricket & politics; going to see #ModiVsModi in next Election!

#CongressMuktBharat." Modi's links with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje have kicked off a storm, with the Congress demanding their resignations.

He has continued his belligerent attack on leaders across party lines, dragging BJP MP Varun Gandhi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley as well as Congress MP Rajeev Shukla into the controversy.