Smriti Irani asks Congress to come clean on Bofors scam

Taking note of the fresh charges made by investigator Michael Hershman in the Bofors case, BJP demanded on Wednesday that Congress should come clean on the issue of alleged attempt to hush up the probe into leads of reported pay-offs in the gun deal by the then Rajiv Gandhi-led Congress dispensation.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani told reports that Hershman’s revelations on the “sordid saga” of Bofors requires that Congress clarify its position on the issue. She said Hershman has alleged that in 1986 Gandhi’s Finance Minister V P Singh wanted him to go ahead with the investigations into conspicuous amounts of money being deposited in some Swiss accounts but the Prime Minister “got very upset” and transferred Singh to the Defence Ministry.

Hershman has also charged that a Pakistani met Gandhi with a big briefcase, allegedly to stop the probe into the financial wrongdoings and money laundering by Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI).

This bank was financed by a Pakistani.

Hershman has said that BCCI’s Mumbai branch which was closed after a raid, was opened and its personnel released on bail after this meeting. Irani quoted Hershman to say that arms dealer Adnan Kashoggi was asked by Gandhi to implicate V P Singh in a fake bank account case. Hershman has also said he was offered a bribe of .`1million and later issued a death threat.

“This is a sordid tale. For too long, the Congress has kept quiet. People of India want to know the truth about Bofors. Who was the representative who offered Hershman bribe? Congress history is one proof that they will indulge in corruption and those probing will be bribed or given a life threat,” Irani said. She demanded that all these issues should be looked into. CBI is likely to probe the claims made by Hershman.