A ghost returns

Sten Lindstrom’s revelations regarding the role of Rajiv Gandhi in the Bofors bribery case has been interpreted by Congress politicians as an exoneration of the former prime minister and a vindication of the party’s stand. However, their interpretation appears to be based on a selective reading of Lindstrom’s interview. The former Swedish police chief, who led the probe into the scam and has identified himself as the whistleblower, has said that no evidence was found to suggest that Gandhi himself took a bribe. This exonerates Gandhi from charges of having personally benefitted from the bribe deal. However, Lindstrom goes on to say that Gandhi allowed a cover-up to protect Ottavio Quattrocchi, the prime accused and against whom Lindstrom says there was ‘conclusive’ evidence. Thus while Gandhi might not have been a beneficiary of the kickbacks in the Bofors case, in facilitating the cover-up of Quattrocchi’s role, he abetted in the latter’s illegal dealings. Lindstrom’s interview cannot be read to mean that the former prime minister was innocent. He was complicit in the cover-up.

Since Gandhi’s cover-up of the case 25 years ago, every Congress government has worked to prevent the truth from coming out. Protection of the Gandhi family and their friends was perhaps the motivation behind successive Congress governments working assiduously to bury the scandal. They left no stone unturned to ensure this, forcing a pliant CBI to muck up the case against Quattrocchi. Their efforts paid off as all the accused were acquitted. Quattrocchi not only walked free but also, thanks to the government unfreezing the bank account where the Bofors bribe money was stashed he was able to empty out that account as well. However, all the efforts of the Congress to bury the case have not worked as the ghost of Bofors reappears regularly to haunt the party. But the Congress was not alone in the cover-up. Governments led by the BJP too did little to secure convictions of the accused. Having their own scandalous skeletons in the cupboard, they were perhaps not too keen to have the truth dug out on Bofors.  

Will Lindstrom’s revelations prompt the opposition to end its collusion in the Congress’ cover-up and force the government to answer some questions?  A political slug-fest in parliament on Gandhi’s role in the Bofors case can be expected. Nothing beyond that. The political class lacks the will to get to the bottom of the truth.