"Not A Fugitive, Why Does Rahul Gandhi Target Me?" Asks Lalit Modi

Former Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Lalit Modi has rejected the 'fugitive' label attached to him, asserting that he is "not running at all" and that the Indian government has a "long arm".

In an interview with news agency ANI, Modi, who left India in 2010, said, "I'm not running at all. The Indian government has a long arm. If they wanted to, they could have got me a long time ago."

Rubbishing claims that he is in the run, Modi argued that "evading a global superpower like India while travelling the world is an impossibility".

"I am not running at all. I am going all over the world. If I was running, you would pick me up somewhere or the other. It's not the government, it's the media," he said.

When pressed on whether he plans to return to India to formally clear his name, the former cricket tycoon made it clear that his priorities have shifted. "The burning desire to prove a point is gone."

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Modi, who faces allegations of financial irregularities and money laundering in India, said he had been "singled out" and that the cases against him were "politically motivated".

The former IPL chairman also attacked Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi for constantly targeting him during his rallies and Parliament speeches. "Every time there is an election, he attacks me. He uses my name to stir public sentiment as I am associated with cricket and cricket evokes sentiment".

Detailing the high-stake drama behind shifting the 2009 IPL to South Africa, he alleged that the then-Home Minister P Chidambaram "threatened" him and deliberately blocked the tournament.

"Chidambaram threatened me. He didn't want me to do it (hold IPL tournament). BJP governments in states gave me permission to hold matches, but the Congress state governments refused the permission," he alleged.

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"We changed the schedule 154 times before I moved (the tournament) to South Africa. And then finally, diktat came from Chidambaram. He was the home minister. He was all powerful."

The Indian government has repeatedly said it remains committed to bringing back economic fugitives, including Lalit Modi and Vijay Mallya, to face the law in the country.

Modi's comments come months after he sparked controversy by posting a video from Vijay Mallya's 70th birthday party in London, where he referred to himself and Mallya as "the two biggest fugitives of India". He later issued an apology, saying the statement was "misconstrued".