Raipur, June 15 (IANS): Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Monday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to sack External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for protecting and granting travel permission to former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi.

"Modi should sack Sushma Swaraj... because Narendra Modi said he is protector... he is the person who is getting black money back. (Lalit) Modi is a symbol of black money outside... Sushma Swaraj is protecting him," Gandhi said.

"...who is Sushma? She is a minor minister... she is nothing. (Narendra) Modi is running this country he must stop (those) helping (Lalit) Modi," he said.

He said it means the prime minister was supporting Lalit Modi.

Amid a row over her having helped the former IPL chief in securing travel documents in July last year for journeying to Portugal for treatment of his cancer-afflicted wife, Sushma Swaraj on Sunday said she helped Lalit Modi on "humanitarian grounds".