06-26-2006, 07:59 PM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Indira began Congress' defence deal safar: VP </b>
Pioneer News Service | New Delhi
Deal troubles do not seem to ebb for the Congress. Now, former Prime Minister Vishwanath Pratap Singh has let the cat out of the bag by alleging that the majority party in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government has been collecting "funds" through defence deals right from the days of India Gandhi.Â
<b>"I believe every party has to generate resources. Previously, funds were procured from corporate houses. But a time came when funds began to be collected through defence deals abroad,"</b> he said in his latest book, Manzil Se Zyada safar (Travel beyond Destination) released on the occasion of his 75th birthday on Sunday here.
Singh recalled when Indira Gandhi found herself in the eye of a political storm, she made the arrangement of procuring funds from defence deals abroad. Later this became a practice, he said.
He gave a detailed account of the beginning of his differences with the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi because of which he had to resign from the post of Defence Minister. The first direct tiff with Rajiv Gandhi was over the HDW submarine deal.
<b>Singh said when Rajiv Gandhi took over as Prime Minister, he had said there would be no middlemen in defence deals.
"I received a telegram from our Ambassador in Germany, which mentioned that a senior officer of that country told him the rate of the submarine could not be lowered as an Indian agent had to be paid seven per cent commission," he said in the book.
Singh said he took up the matter with Rajiv Gandhi the same day at a Cabinet Meeting, but he did not say anything. Singh then ordered an inquiry into the matter.
The former Prime Minister said the then Defence Secretary told him that in the earlier submarine deal, during the prime ministership of Indira Gandhi, also an Indian agent was involved.</b>
<b>Singh recollected in the book that Rajiv Gandhi was very unhappy over the inquiry ordered by him. He was "red with anger and asked many questions". </b>It was then that he decided to resign as Defence Minister, Singh said.
Asked about the practice of middlemen in defence deals, Singh said that there used to be middlemen before Rajiv Gandhi and they would take commission.
Singh denied that he had to quit the Government in the wake of the controversy over the Bofors gun deal. "This is absolutely wrong. The Bofors charge was levelled after I had resigned from the Defence Ministry," he said. He said the Bofors deal took place when he was the Finance Minister. Singh said when he received the Bofors file; the instruction was to act fast as the Army needed the weapon urgently.
He said that the Finance Ministry gave the clearance with some conditions but it was not known whether those conditions were met.
Singh said after this controversy, Rajiv Gandhi's emissary kept coming to him repeatedly, urging him that "I stay put at home and avoid going to any public function".
<b>'Zail Singh offered me PM post'</b>
At the height of his differences with late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, the then President, late Giani Zail Singh, offered VP Singh the Prime Ministership but the offer was turned down. In Manjil Se Zyada safar, Singh claimed Zail Singh called him over and took him to Mughal Gardens as he feared bugging inside Rashtrapati Bhawan. "I will give you oath as Prime Minister. I am told 150 Congress MPs will be with you and you may get majority," Singh quoted the then President as saying. The former Prime Minster then told Zail Singh "it is wrong to think this way."
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Pioneer News Service | New Delhi
Deal troubles do not seem to ebb for the Congress. Now, former Prime Minister Vishwanath Pratap Singh has let the cat out of the bag by alleging that the majority party in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government has been collecting "funds" through defence deals right from the days of India Gandhi.Â
<b>"I believe every party has to generate resources. Previously, funds were procured from corporate houses. But a time came when funds began to be collected through defence deals abroad,"</b> he said in his latest book, Manzil Se Zyada safar (Travel beyond Destination) released on the occasion of his 75th birthday on Sunday here.
Singh recalled when Indira Gandhi found herself in the eye of a political storm, she made the arrangement of procuring funds from defence deals abroad. Later this became a practice, he said.
He gave a detailed account of the beginning of his differences with the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi because of which he had to resign from the post of Defence Minister. The first direct tiff with Rajiv Gandhi was over the HDW submarine deal.
<b>Singh said when Rajiv Gandhi took over as Prime Minister, he had said there would be no middlemen in defence deals.
"I received a telegram from our Ambassador in Germany, which mentioned that a senior officer of that country told him the rate of the submarine could not be lowered as an Indian agent had to be paid seven per cent commission," he said in the book.
Singh said he took up the matter with Rajiv Gandhi the same day at a Cabinet Meeting, but he did not say anything. Singh then ordered an inquiry into the matter.
The former Prime Minister said the then Defence Secretary told him that in the earlier submarine deal, during the prime ministership of Indira Gandhi, also an Indian agent was involved.</b>
<b>Singh recollected in the book that Rajiv Gandhi was very unhappy over the inquiry ordered by him. He was "red with anger and asked many questions". </b>It was then that he decided to resign as Defence Minister, Singh said.
Asked about the practice of middlemen in defence deals, Singh said that there used to be middlemen before Rajiv Gandhi and they would take commission.
Singh denied that he had to quit the Government in the wake of the controversy over the Bofors gun deal. "This is absolutely wrong. The Bofors charge was levelled after I had resigned from the Defence Ministry," he said. He said the Bofors deal took place when he was the Finance Minister. Singh said when he received the Bofors file; the instruction was to act fast as the Army needed the weapon urgently.
He said that the Finance Ministry gave the clearance with some conditions but it was not known whether those conditions were met.
Singh said after this controversy, Rajiv Gandhi's emissary kept coming to him repeatedly, urging him that "I stay put at home and avoid going to any public function".
<b>'Zail Singh offered me PM post'</b>
At the height of his differences with late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, the then President, late Giani Zail Singh, offered VP Singh the Prime Ministership but the offer was turned down. In Manjil Se Zyada safar, Singh claimed Zail Singh called him over and took him to Mughal Gardens as he feared bugging inside Rashtrapati Bhawan. "I will give you oath as Prime Minister. I am told 150 Congress MPs will be with you and you may get majority," Singh quoted the then President as saying. The former Prime Minster then told Zail Singh "it is wrong to think this way."
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->