External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday defended her decision to recommend travel documents for Indian Premier League former commissioner Lalit Modi, after taking a "humanitarian view" and asserted that she asked the British government to examine his request and follow the rules.

Local media reports had indicated that Labour MP Keith Vaz had recommended grant of travel documents to Mr. Modi, based on his consultation with the Minister.

Ms. Swaraj put out her statement on the microblogging site Twitter, clarifying that she pointed out that if British authorities were to give travel documents to Mr. Modi, who has sought the documents to be able to travel to Portugal for the treatment of his wife, India would not object.

“Sometime in July 2014, Lalit Modi spoke to me that his wife was suffering from Cancer and her surgery was fixed for 4th August in Portugal. He told me that he had to be present in the hospital to sign the consent papers,” Ms. Swaraj said in her statement.

She goes on to say that she was informed that Mr. Modi had applied for travel documents in London and the UK Government was prepared to give him the travel documents. “...However, they were restrained by a UPA Government communication that this will spoil Indo-UK relations. Taking a humanitarian view, I conveyed to the British High Commissioner that, British Government should examine the request of Lalit Modi as per British rules and regulations. If the British Government chooses to give travel documents to Lalit Modi – that will not spoil our bilateral relations,” Ms. Swaraj stated in her tweets.

The External Affairs Minister admits speaking to Mr. Vaz and said she told him “precisely” what she had told the British High Commissioner.

“I genuinely believe that in a situation such as this, giving emergency travel documents to an Indian citizen cannot and should not spoil relations between the two countries. I may also state that only few days later, Delhi High Court quashed the UPA Government’s order impounding Lalit Modi’s Passport on the ground that the said order was unconstitutional being violative of fundamental rights and he got his Passport back,” she goes on to say.

Mr. Modi who launched IPL was found guilty of misconduct and indiscipline, which resulting in his removal and subsequent lifetime ban by the BCCI.