MEMBERS OF LOK SABHA DEMAND REOPENING OF BOFORS CASE

Lok Sabha members from the treasury benches on Monday raised a demand to reopen investigation into the alleged Bofors guns scam.

While several members from the treasury benches were seen demanding a discussion on the issue, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member from New Delhi Meenakshi Lekhi said there were documents pertaining to discussions between then Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and then Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme which proved a quid pro quo.

Sten Lindstrom, the Swedish police official who led the investigations, has been reported as saying Rajiv Gandhi and Palme discussed the details of a financial quid-pro-quo before the Bofors gun deal. under which Bofors would pay money to a foundation in Sweden to make it easier for payments to be made to Indians and others.

“According to Lindstrom, the documents related to that discussion are still with the government. To say that it is an old case and should be forgotten is wrong, because when old issues are not settled, their ghosts return to haunt,” Lekhi said.

BJP’s Nishikant Dubey also raised the issue. “The CBI should open and re-investigate the case. CBI had sought permission earlier as well, but he UPA government did not allow them,” Dubey said.

The Bofors issue came in focus recently after a parliamentary panel suggested that the case of irregularities in purchase of Bofors guns should be reopened as there were many “loopholes” in the investigation in past.