We've been Vindicated, say Bachchans After Bofors Revelations


MUMBAI, Apr 25 (IANS) : With former Swedish police chief Sten Lindstrom giving him a clean chit in the Bofors gun payoff scandal, Amitabh Bachchan on Wednesday said the accusations had led to years of "anguish of petulant blame".

"I speak from personal experience and personal exoneration. 25 years after the incident, I read today from one that pioneered accusation and investigation, of innocence. Of the fault that never lay before me. Of one that remained and shall perhaps remain a darkened spot, blemished beyond all recognition, but in admittance of wrong doing against me," Amitabh wrote on his blog bigb.bigadda.com.

"No one shall be able to understand or even remotely fathom, the hours and days and months and years of the anguish of petulant blame, that I had to go through. But will it really interest another? No it shall not," Amitabh, who was MP at the time, added.

Along with the late Rajiv Gandhi, the 69-year-old star was implicated in the kickbacks scandal on the Rs 1,500 crore gun deal.

His wife, Rajya Sabha MP Jaya Bachchan also spoke out. "We knew the truth 25 years back but justice takes its own time and our stand has been vindicated," she said.

In an interview to website thehoot.org, Lindstrom, who had operated under pseudonym Swedish Deep Throat, said there was no evidence to show that Gandhi had taken a bribe in the Bofors deal but he didn't stop the cover-up to protect Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrochi.

He also said the case against actor and then Congress MP Amitabh Bachchan and his family was planted in Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter by Indian investigators.

"Their mission was misguidance, connived to its maximum, for issues that never ever did be of any concern in the execution of their own selfish mercenary agenda. They won momentarily. But lost ultimately. Lost position and strength and power yes, but importantly their conscience. And today that counts the most!" said Amitabh.

The Bofors gun payoff scandal was a major corruption scandal during the 1980s and 1990s implicating then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and several others who were accused of receiving kickbacks from Bofors AB for winning a bid to supply India 155 mm field howitzers.

The scale of the corruption -- estimated to the tune of Rs.64 crore -- was far worse than any that India had seen before and directly led to the defeat of Gandhi's ruling Indian National Congress party in the November 1989 general elections.

  

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Comment on this article

  • Bulsam, Mangalore

    Thu, Apr 26 2012

    We should congratulate Mr. N. Ram of Hindu, who led the journalistic investigation behind the coverage of Bofors scandal in the newspaper at that time by patiently waiting for one and a half to collect 350 documents, which included payment instructions to banks, contracts, handwritten notes, minutes of meetings and Bofors Managing Director Martin Ardbo's diary that carried a lot of sensitive information.

    DisAgree Agree Reply Report Abuse

  • Sachidanand Shetty, Mundkur/Dubai

    Thu, Apr 26 2012

    If anybody having knowledge of Bofors case in India and Switzerland, simply they can understand how the Congress Government did their favour to acquit Ottavio Quattrochi an Italian. CBI pursued the case for 5 years got it extended 3 times and time lapsed as per the Law. CBI then decided to stop scratching the case again and informed Supreme Court that there is no point in pursuing the case anymore. Accordingly Quattrochi’s Swiss Bank Account has been defrozen and entire fund has been transferred to Italy within two hours through E-Banking system. Person who favoured the case to close got promoted to Governor Post now everybody knows and rest is the history of India and that Congress Supporter still busy in blaming Non-Congress Government everywhere

    DisAgree [5] Agree [1] Reply Report Abuse

  • Valentine DSouza, Pernal/Saudi Arabia

    Thu, Apr 26 2012

    Dear Amitji, As a great fan of yours I know from day one you are not connected. It is nice to know that your name is cleared now. But if you would have still stayed in Congress we may seen you are a prime minister of India by now. We would have proud a personality like yours representing India throughout the world. You have a voice that make people to listen you. God bless you and live for another hundred years..We are proud of you Sirji...

    DisAgree [2] Agree [5] Reply Report Abuse

  • geoffrey, hat hill

    Wed, Apr 25 2012

    Kapil Dev had delivered a similar emotion packed speech when he was accused of match fixing.

    DisAgree [1] Agree [7] Reply Report Abuse

  • VAN, BAHRAIN

    Wed, Apr 25 2012

    Dear Amitabji
    Can you tell why you discontinued the relation between yours and Gandhi families?

    van
    bahrain

    DisAgree [2] Agree [9] Reply Report Abuse

  • ISMAIL.K.PERINJE, PERINJE-YANBU/KSA

    Wed, Apr 25 2012

    Rakesh Shetty, all of sudden how can you trust CBI?Your party,your corrupt ministers and supporters always used to say CBI- agent of Cong!!Suppose, if, SC ask Yeddy's mining/kickback for a CBI inquiry, (Yeddy's backbiting BJP MLAs/High Command of Delhi virtually prays prays for CBI inquiry off the screen)what would be the reaction ?BJP,s double std in any given issue was known fact that is why it sitting in oppn party for quite long time.

    DisAgree [22] Agree [33] Reply Report Abuse

  • Jossey Saldanha, Mangalore/Mapusa/Mumbai

    Wed, Apr 25 2012

    Even our Yeddyurappa says the same..........

    DisAgree [16] Agree [53] Reply Report Abuse

  • R.Bhandarkar., M

    Wed, Apr 25 2012

    Question is why is this 'Deep Throat', 'gargling' to clear it now? It now obviously pales before a 'shaking ' Singhvi and 64 crores is something even local administrative bodies look down upon as 'peanuts' now! Also this Quatrrochi has long flown and is already an Italian 'Gubbachi' again! Can understand Big B's anguish though!

    DisAgree [5] Agree [29] Reply Report Abuse

  • Rakesh shetty, mangalore

    Wed, Apr 25 2012

    AMITABHJI YOU HAVE BEEN VINDICATED. NOW WHAT ABOUT ITALIAN LADY . SHE SWALLOWED EVERYTHING AFTER LATE RAJIV GANDHI.

    I WISH CBI SHOULD RAID HER THEN ONLY ALL TRUTH WILL COME OUT.

    DisAgree [87] Agree [46] Reply Report Abuse

  • R.Fernandes, dubai

    Wed, Apr 25 2012

    Nagesh Nayak may be disappointed since he cannot talk any more about Gandhi family swiss bank account.

    DisAgree [31] Agree [78] Reply Report Abuse


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