Poojary flays Advani for comments on Bofors scandal

Poojary flays Advani for comments on Bofors scandal

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, January 10: Former Union Minister Janardhan Poojary delivered a verbal attack on L. K. Advani, the former deputy prime minister, for stating that Congress leader Sonia Gandhi is associated with Ottavio Quattrocchi, an Italian businessman, who stands accused of being involved in the Bofors scandal. Advani had stated at the BJP national executive meeting, which was held in Guwahati on Sunday, that Quattrocchi used to visit the Gandhi household regularly when Rajiv Gandhi was the prime minister of India.

Addressing reporters at the Press Club on Monday, Poojary alleged that T. N. Chaturvedi, the then comptroller and auditor general, manipulated a CAG report on the Bofors scam against Rajiv Gandhi and others. Chaturvedi later became the member of the Rajya Sabha and subsequently was made the governor of Karnataka by the then national democratic alliance (NDA) government led by A. B. Vajpayee. He wanted to know if Advani did not influence T. N. Chaturvedi to prepare the report.

Stating that the government did not suffer a loss because of the Bofors deal, he said that the Rajiv Gandhi government tried hard to reduce the deal amount from Rs. 1,480 crore to Rs. 210 crore. He also said that the “Shoot and Scoot” gun could be purchased at affordable rates for the first time in India during Rajiv Gandhi’s rule and that this helped India win the Kargil war. Questioning the BJP, he said that the BJP ought to have investigated the issue when it was in power for seven years, adding that the fact they did not investigate the issue proves that they do not have any documentary evidence about it.

Stating that Advani is fooling people by claiming that Rs. 300 lakh is in the Swiss bank, he said that these are figures imagined by Advani. Stating that the Congress requested tainted ministers to quit their posts although it is an alliance party, he said that the BJP ought to have spoken against B. S. Yeddyurappa if it has any moral value.

Congress leaders Harikrishna Bantwal, Vijay Kumar Shetty, Tharanatha Kallige, and others were present at the press conference.