The Hindu : I never accused Rajiv of taking money, says V.P. Singh

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Feb 07, 2004

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I never accused Rajiv of taking money, says V.P. Singh

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI. FEB. 6. The former Prime Minister, V.P. Singh, today denied having ever accused Rajiv Gandhi of taking money in the Bofor's gun deal.

Addressing a press conference this afternoon, Mr. Singh said that "at no point of time did I make the charge that he had personally taken money."

Mr. Singh, who led the Opposition attack against the Rajiv Gandhi regime in the 1989 elections on the Bofors issue today clarified that all that he had done was "vigorously contest the contention that there were no middlemen in the deal or that no monies were paid or what was paid was only winding up charges." He said he had also given the bank account number in which Bofors had paid the money related to the deal.

Mr. Singh said he had been vindicated by the papers supplied to the Indian Government on the orders of the Swiss court. "The Special Court in India had also come to the conclusions that laws had been violated and had issued warrants against Ottavio Quattrocchi". He, however, added that it would be "grossly unfair, without proof, to cast aspersions on the Gandhi family just on the ground of proximity with Quattrocchi," he said.

Mr. Singh welcomed the Delhi High Court judgment quashing the bribery charges in the Bofors case; "My heart is much lighter for the same." It was wrong on the part of the Bharatiya Janata Party Government to have put Rajiv Gandhi's name in the accused list." After death, all criminal charges abated, and it was against the Indian ethos "to pillory someone who is no more to defend him," he added. He was of the view that political parties should accept the finality of courts and of the clearance of George Fernandes (by the enquiry commission) and Jayalalithaa.

Mr. Singh defended the Gandhi family and said it was wrong on the part of the BJP to cast aspersions on Sonia Gandhi and her children. " Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka and Rahul were not in government and were not involved in the decision-making related to the purchase of the Bofors gun, it is wrong to cast aspersions on them," he said.

Mr. Singh said he could understand and appreciate the feelings of the Gandhi family at the "acquittal" of Rajiv Gandhi by the Delhi High Court." Their joy is understandable, my family also felt the same way when the St. Kitts documents were found to be forged," he said.

Mr. Singh complimented the Congress for its "restrained" reaction to the court judgment, keeping in view the larger purpose of "the unity of the secular forces." He referred to the fact that leaders such as Karunanidhi, Laloo Yadav and the Left parties who might have held a different position on the issue in the past were now on the side of the Congress. "Today, the unity of the secular forces is more important than rehearsing the Bofors debate, the unity process should not be allowed to be ensnared to the benefit of the BJP," he said.

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