Rajiv Gandhi 'worked as middleman' in aircraft deal: WikiLeaks

Vishwarupa

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Revelation contained in Kissinger-era documents obtained by WikiLeaks

Much before he became Prime Minister, during his years as an Indian Airlines pilot, Rajiv Gandhi may have been a middleman for the Swedish company Saab-Scania, when it was trying to sell its Viggen fighter aircraft to India in the 1970s.

The astonishing revelation that he was the "main Indian negotiator" for a massive aircraft deal for which his "family" connections were seen as valuable, is contained in the Kissinger Cables, the latest tranche of U.S diplomatic cables obtained by WikiLeaks and accessed by The Hindu as part of an investigative collaboration. The cables will be released on Monday.

The British SEPECAT Jaguar eventually won the race, from which Saab was forced to withdraw by the U.S.

Rajiv Gandhi, who kept away from politics until he was pushed into it by his mother Indira after the death of his brother Sanjay in 1980, came into public life with a squeaky clean image. Years later, a controversy over bribes paid in another military deal with a different Swedish company, Bofors, was to lead to Rajiv's and the Congress's defeat in the 1989 elections.

A series of 41 cables between 1974 and 1976 give glimpses into the "fighter sweepstakes" in India, with one wryly observing that the Swedish company had "understood the importance of family influences in the final decision in the fighter sweepstakes."

Dassault, the French aircraft maker, too had figured this out. According to the cable, their negotiator for the Mirage fighter aircraft was the son-in-law of Air Marshal O.P. Mehra, then Air Chief.

An October 21, 1975 cable from the New Delhi U.S. Embassy (1975NEWDE14031_b, confidential) details information given to it by a diplomat in the Swedish Embassy. "Mrs Gandhi's oler [sic] son's only association with the aircraft industry (to our knowledge) has been as a pilot for Indian Airlines and this is the first time we have heard his name as entrepreneur."

Having noted what the Swedes had said, the cable makes the comment that there was no additional information to either refute or confirm the information.

The cable goes on to say, "Mrs Gandhi (according to the Swedish info) has made the personal decision not to purchase the British Jaguar because of her prejudices against the British. The decision would be between the Mirage [Dassault Mirage F1] and the Viggen."

Importance of 'family'

In another cable (1976NEWDE01909_b, confidential), the Swedes also made it clear they "understood the importance of family influences" in the final decision. The cable adds: "Our colleague describes Ranjiv Gandhi [sic] in flattering terms, and contends his technical expertise is of a high level. This may or may not be. Offhand, we would have thought a transport pilot [is] not the best expert to rely upon in evaluating a fighter plane, but then we are speaking of a transport pilot who has another and perhaps more relevant qualification."

The first cable adds that Air Marshal Mehra's son-in-law was the chief negotiator for the competing Mirage, but it does not give his name.

Contacted in New Delhi, Navin Behl, the former Air Chief's son-in-law, denied that he was ever involved in any such negotiations. "I was never an arms dealer. We've got nothing to do with it. I am a chartered accountant, [I was] practising then [in the 1970s], and now we're in the manufacture and export of home furnishings," he told The Hindu.

The Swedish diplomat quoted in this cable said his country's neutral position in world politics was offsetting the Viggen's higher cost. The cable also records the official's "irritation at the way Mrs Gandhi is personally dominating negotiations, without [the] involvement of Indian Air Force officers. According to him, negotiations with the Swedes are for 50 Viggen aircraft to be delivered at $4-5 million per aircraft with the Swedes believing that the Indians have made the decision not to purchase any more Soviet military aircraft."

U.S. blocks deal

But Sweden had to do an abrupt about turn with what appears to be a bit of arm-twisting, an August 6, 1976 cable (1976STOCKH04230_b, secret) titled "Saab-Scania requests for U.S. permission to export Viggen and license to India" appears to confirm this with a blunt message: "The USG, after careful consideration, has concluded that no version of the Viggen containing any classified U.S. components would be acceptable for transfer to India. It would also oppose any transfer to India, for local production, of the advanced U.S. technology represented in the Viggen's aerodynamic design, engine and flying controls, navigation system, electronic components and weapons systems."

Another 1976 cable (1976STOCKH04231_b, secret) details the negative USG response to Saab-Scania president Curt Mileikowsky's informal request for export of Viggen aircraft to India and licence to manufacture such aircraft to India. Senior Swedish officials have also emphasised "that [the] most important consideration to their government was preservation of cooperation with the U.S. on military R&D, which they recognised as vital to maintenance of a viable Swedish defence effort and that the sale of the Viggen to India was of secondary consideration to them in comparison with the value of military cooperation with the U.S."

Scramble for contract

The earliest reference to the IAF upgrade plan is in a 1974 cable (1974LONDON00554_b, secret), which elaborates how the Indians had nearly completed negotiations for two Navy Corvettes and an unspecified number of Jaguar aircraft, though negotiations temporarily stalled because of the oil crisis.

India, according to the FCO South Asian Department head, had "expressed desire for [a] modest alternative to the Soviets as an arms supply source, and had begun discussions with the British early last summer." The British were smelling a deal "in the neighbourhood of 30-35 million pounds, probably only the first tranche of an ongoing program which could reach 100-120 million pounds over a period of time."

The Viggen pitch to India was of immense interest to the U.S. As one cable (1975STATE270066_b, secret) said, the aircraft "contains a large number of parts and components of U.S. origin which are therefore subject to USG control in third-party sales."

Jaguar, meanwhile, was aggressively in the hunt. A November 19, 1975 cable (1975NEWDE15350_b, confidential), said: "London has now decided to offer the Government Of India a more favorable financing arrangement, 71/4 percent over five years, than was earlier the case. The GOI has asked for two percent over 15 years, but the British tell us this is impossible. The GOI still wants 40 aircraft to be delivered within 36 months. The original British offer was 60 months, but they are now talking in terms of 40 odd months." The cable ends by saying that the final decision was expected to be political and made by the Prime Minister.

Another cable (1975PARIS33184_b confidential) details French concern that "Mrs Gandhi's advance toward dictatorship is now irreversible, and that French Prime Minister Chirac was unhappy with the idea of appearing to condone this development through his official visit" but also nursed the hope that the visit would be able to improve sales prospects for the Mirage F-1.

By the next year, the French Embassy is convinced (1976NEWDE00845_b, confidential) that it is Prime Minister [Indira] Gandhi alone who will make the final decision, and it will be on political grounds. The Swedes are also pushing their product. The French believed that the Swedes had dropped their price and offered to take rupees in payment. They were seen as moving towards delivering the first 24 to 36 aircraft to India, with the next aircraft being assembled in India under licence.

Rajiv Gandhi was 'entrepreneur' for Swedish jet, U.S. cable says - The Hindu
 

Apollyon

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Rajiv Gandhi 'worked as middleman' in aircraft deal: WikiLeaks

NEW DELHI: According to latest WikiLeaks revelations, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi may have worked as a middleman for Swedish company Saab-Scania, which had tried to sell its Viggen fighter aircraft to India in the 1970s.

However, Saab-Scania eventually could not seal the deal, which went to British SEPECAT Jaguar. According to a report published in the Hindu, Rajiv was considered to be a valuable negotiator because of his family connections, states the paper, citing the Kissinger Cables, the latest bunch of classified cables of the US administration released by WikiLeaks.

According to the report, Rajiv Gandhi became the negotiator for the Swedish company Saab-Scania, when it was trying to sell its Viggen fighter aircraft to India in the 1970s, much before he became the prime minister.

The first cable said that Air Marshal OP Mehra's son-in-law was the chief negotiator for the competing Mirage, but it does not give his name. "Our colleague describes Ranjiv Gandhi [sic] in flattering terms, and contends his technical expertise is of a high level. This may or may not be. Offhand, we would have thought a transport pilot [is] not the best expert to rely upon in evaluating a fighter plane, but then we are speaking of a transport pilot who has another and perhaps more relevant qualification," the cable read, said the report.

WikiLeaks sent shockwaves around the diplomatic world in 2010 when it released a set of more than 250,000 leaked US cables.

Meanwhile, the main opposition party BJP has slammed the ruling Congress over the fresh WikiLeaks allegations involving Rajiv Gandhi.
Rajiv Gandhi 'worked as middleman' in aircraft deal: WikiLeaks - The Times of India
Mera Bharat Mahan :india::pound:
 

Bhadra

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Wikileaks Latest : Ravij gandhi an agent

[video]http://www.firstpost.com/politics/from-bjp-to-cong-who-said-what-on-wikileaks-cable-on-rajiv-gandhi-689859.html[/video]
 

Patriot

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Then followed by Bofors. This explains the long & strong relation with Swedish defense companies.
 

Daredevil

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I wonder if he bought the 'dalali' culture into Indian Arms industry. If so, then he has done a big disservice to this country.
 

Decklander

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I wonder if he bought the 'dalali' culture into Indian Arms industry. If so, then he has done a big disservice to this country.
This family has a tradition of DALALI. Even before Ghyasuddin Ghazi became Gangadhar, He was in the biz of selling this nation to British and a traitor who helped them against the revolutionaries of 1857. Habbits die hard is a very old saying and true in case of this family. The Ghazi turned Gangadhar found refuge in a brothel called Ishrat Manzil in Allahabad after being hounded by revolutionaries of 1857. Ishrat in urdu means,"Pleasure" so Ishrat manzil means, "House of Pleasure". This place was situated in the red light area of Allahabad. There this man did the DALALI of women and kept records of the deals. His son also became a lawyer for this Brothel and infact married one the sex worker of this brothel from whom Chacha Rangila was born. Feroze was a bootlegger who supplied daaru to this brothel and arranged clients for a commission. Indira fell for him and married him. Chacha Rangila than bought over this pride of family history of Dalali and renamed it as,"Anand Bhavan". A litral translation of House of Pleasure.
DALALI runs in the blood of this family and blood (DNA) traits never go away. The first ever weapon purchase DALALI was done by Chacha Rangila in the infamous JEEP purchase deal of 1948-49. After that, there has not been a single deal in which this family has not taken DALALI. It is said that even some Vadera has joined this brigade of DALALs. This family never does any deal without DALALI. What value can such family have for Motherland when only value for them is DALALI. They will sell their mother also happily provided the DALALI amount is good.
 

Patriot

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This family has a tradition of DALALI. Even before Ghyasuddin Ghazi became Gangadhar, He was in the biz of selling this nation to British and a traitor who helped them against the revolutionaries of 1857. Habbits die hard is a very old saying and true in case of this family. The Ghazi turned Gangadhar found refuge in a brothel called Ishrat Manzil in Allahabad after being hounded by revolutionaries of 1857. Ishrat in urdu means,"Pleasure" so Ishrat manzil means, "House of Pleasure". This place was situated in the red light area of Allahabad. There this man did the DALALI of women and kept records of the deals. His son also became a lawyer for this Brothel and infact married one the sex worker of this brothel from whom Chacha Rangila was born. Feroze was a bootlegger who supplied daaru to this brothel and arranged clients for a commission. Indira fell for him and married him. Chacha Rangila than bought over this pride of family history of Dalali and renamed it as,"Anand Bhavan". A litral translation of House of Pleasure.
DALALI runs in the blood of this family and blood (DNA) traits never go away. The first ever weapon purchase DALALI was done by Chacha Rangila in the infamous JEEP purchase deal of 1948-49. After that, there has not been a single deal in which this family has not taken DALALI. It is said that even some Vadera has joined this brigade of DALALs. This family never does any deal without DALALI. What value can such family have for Motherland when only value for them is DALALI. They will sell their mother also happily provided the DALALI amount is good.
:shocked:

:salute: This is revelation man. Let the country know. It is time get rid of these buggers they have already sucked lot of blood.
 

Decklander

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Some extremely interesting facts about this family of DALALs.

Articles: Truths about the Nehru Dynasty
Rajiv Gandhi was a born Muslim, Nehru and Indira Gandhi were Muslims, and were Babar Ki Oulad | Sulekha Creative
NEHRU DIED OF TERTIARY SYPHILIS-AORTIC ANEURYSM

And read this article to know how chacha Rangila got the name Jawaher.
PANDIT JAWAHARLAL NEHRU. WHERE DID THE "BANDIT" COME FROM?

How Motilal named his only son: It is very interesting to learn how Motilal chose his son's name. One morning, Motilal and Swarup Rani were on their way to the Ganges for the morning dip in the holy water. Swarup was heavy with her child. On the way, a Hindu sadhu (monk) saw them and he flew into a rage at the sight of the couple. Motilal approached the sadhu and asked what the problem was. The sadhu, quite angry, advised him to get an abortion done for, in the opinion of the sadhu, Motilal's wife was carrying a demon, one if allowed to live, will do untold harm to the country. He suggested even killing the mother by using poison or zaher (in Hindi). Then the sadhu left. Motilal returned to his wife who was quite perturbed. Swarup, being at a certain distance did not fully hear the conversation with the sadhu but was aware of the fact that the monk was somehow not happy at all. She did hear the word zaher meaning poison. Motilal hid the facts from Swarup and said that the sadhu was insistent on the child's name. When Swarup asked why was the sadhu talking about zaher, Motilal lied and told her that the sadhu wanted the child's name to be Jawahar (Hindi for Jewel) and not zaher, for it was going to be a baby boy. It was thus that the son's name was chosen to be Jawahar and Lal (from Motilal's own name).

Koushal': Moti Lal Nehru, Jawahar Lal Nehru' past
 

hit&run

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It is sad he was given Bharat Ratana.
 

parijataka

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Wikileaks: Rajiv Gandhi 'a middleman' for Sweden's Saab-Scania

Wikileaks: Rajiv Gandhi 'a middleman' for Sweden's Saab-Scania

Former Indian PM Rajiv Gandhi may have been "a middleman" for Swedish company Saab-Scania when it was trying to sell fighter aircraft to Delhi in the 1970s, allege cables released by Wikileaks.

Cables from the whistleblowing site claim he was the "main negotiator" for the Viggen fighter aircraft deal.

He was not in politics at the time but was valued for his "family" connections as the son of the PM, they allege.

Saab ultimately did not win the deal which went to Britain's SEPECAT Jaguar.

On Monday, a spokesman for Saab told the BBC: "Since the information dates back to over three decades and it's based on conversations that really don't have any determinable basis, we can't comment on third party communication."

Mr Gandhi was assassinated by suspected Tamil Tiger rebels in 1991.

India's ruling Congress party, to which Mr Gandhi belonged, has rejected the Wikileaks revelations.

"The credibility of WikiLeaks is questionable... We don't give importance to the allegations and the cables," the party said.

'Family influences'

The Wikileaks claims are based on the Kissinger Cables, the latest tranche of US diplomatic cables obtained by the whistle-blower, reports The Hindu newspaper, Wikileaks' partner for India and Pakistan cables.

It says a series of 41 cables between 1974 and 1976 give glimpses into the "fighter sweepstakes" in India, with one observing that the Swedish company had "understood the importance of family influences in the final decision in the fighter sweepstakes".

"Our colleague describes Rajiv Gandhi in flattering terms, and contends his technical expertise is of a high level. This may or may not be," the cable reads.

"Offhand, we would have thought a transport pilot [is] not the best expert to rely upon in evaluating a fighter plane, but then we are speaking of a transport pilot who has another and perhaps more relevant qualification."

Members of the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) criticised the Congress party over the Wikileaks allegations involving Mr Gandhi.

In his lifetime too, Rajiv Gandhi had faced a controversy over alleged bribes paid by Swedish arms firm AB Bofors to clinch the sale of more than 400 howitzers to India.

Last year, retired Swedish police chief Sten Lindstrom, who led the probe into the Bofors scandal, said there was no evidence to prove that Mr Gandhi took a bribe, but that he did nothing to prevent a cover-up in the scandal.

The scandal came to surface in 1986 and eventually led to Rajiv Gandhi's electoral defeat three years later.

In 2004, he was posthumously cleared of any wrongdoing in the deal.
 

drkrn

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Revelation contained in Kissinger-era documents obtained by WikiLeaks

Much before he became Prime Minister, during his years as an Indian Airlines pilot, Rajiv Gandhi may have been a middleman for the Swedish company Saab-Scania, when it was trying to sell its Viggen fighter aircraft to India in the 1970s.

The astonishing revelation that he was the "main Indian negotiator" for a massive aircraft deal for which his "family" connections were seen as valuable, is contained in the Kissinger Cables, the latest tranche of U.S diplomatic cables obtained by WikiLeaks and accessed by The Hindu as part of an investigative collaboration. The cables will be released on Monday.

The British SEPECAT Jaguar eventually won the race, from which Saab was forced to withdraw by the U.S.

Rajiv Gandhi, who kept away from politics until he was pushed into it by his mother Indira after the death of his brother Sanjay in 1980, came into public life with a squeaky clean image. Years later, a controversy over bribes paid in another military deal with a different Swedish company, Bofors, was to lead to Rajiv's and the Congress's defeat in the 1989 elections.

A series of 41 cables between 1974 and 1976 give glimpses into the "fighter sweepstakes" in India, with one wryly observing that the Swedish company had "understood the importance of family influences in the final decision in the fighter sweepstakes."

Dassault, the French aircraft maker, too had figured this out. According to the cable, their negotiator for the Mirage fighter aircraft was the son-in-law of Air Marshal O.P. Mehra, then Air Chief.

An October 21, 1975 cable from the New Delhi U.S. Embassy (1975NEWDE14031_b, confidential) details information given to it by a diplomat in the Swedish Embassy. "Mrs Gandhi's oler [sic] son's only association with the aircraft industry (to our knowledge) has been as a pilot for Indian Airlines and this is the first time we have heard his name as entrepreneur."

Having noted what the Swedes had said, the cable makes the comment that there was no additional information to either refute or confirm the information.

The cable goes on to say, "Mrs Gandhi (according to the Swedish info) has made the personal decision not to purchase the British Jaguar because of her prejudices against the British. The decision would be between the Mirage [Dassault Mirage F1] and the Viggen."

Importance of 'family'

In another cable (1976NEWDE01909_b, confidential), the Swedes also made it clear they "understood the importance of family influences" in the final decision. The cable adds: "Our colleague describes Ranjiv Gandhi [sic] in flattering terms, and contends his technical expertise is of a high level. This may or may not be. Offhand, we would have thought a transport pilot [is] not the best expert to rely upon in evaluating a fighter plane, but then we are speaking of a transport pilot who has another and perhaps more relevant qualification."

The first cable adds that Air Marshal Mehra's son-in-law was the chief negotiator for the competing Mirage, but it does not give his name.

Contacted in New Delhi, Navin Behl, the former Air Chief's son-in-law, denied that he was ever involved in any such negotiations. "I was never an arms dealer. We've got nothing to do with it. I am a chartered accountant, [I was] practising then [in the 1970s], and now we're in the manufacture and export of home furnishings," he told The Hindu.

The Swedish diplomat quoted in this cable said his country's neutral position in world politics was offsetting the Viggen's higher cost. The cable also records the official's "irritation at the way Mrs Gandhi is personally dominating negotiations, without [the] involvement of Indian Air Force officers. According to him, negotiations with the Swedes are for 50 Viggen aircraft to be delivered at $4-5 million per aircraft with the Swedes believing that the Indians have made the decision not to purchase any more Soviet military aircraft."

U.S. blocks deal

But Sweden had to do an abrupt about turn with what appears to be a bit of arm-twisting, an August 6, 1976 cable (1976STOCKH04230_b, secret) titled "Saab-Scania requests for U.S. permission to export Viggen and license to India" appears to confirm this with a blunt message: "The USG, after careful consideration, has concluded that no version of the Viggen containing any classified U.S. components would be acceptable for transfer to India. It would also oppose any transfer to India, for local production, of the advanced U.S. technology represented in the Viggen's aerodynamic design, engine and flying controls, navigation system, electronic components and weapons systems."

Another 1976 cable (1976STOCKH04231_b, secret) details the negative USG response to Saab-Scania president Curt Mileikowsky's informal request for export of Viggen aircraft to India and licence to manufacture such aircraft to India. Senior Swedish officials have also emphasised "that [the] most important consideration to their government was preservation of cooperation with the U.S. on military R&D, which they recognised as vital to maintenance of a viable Swedish defence effort and that the sale of the Viggen to India was of secondary consideration to them in comparison with the value of military cooperation with the U.S."

Scramble for contract

The earliest reference to the IAF upgrade plan is in a 1974 cable (1974LONDON00554_b, secret), which elaborates how the Indians had nearly completed negotiations for two Navy Corvettes and an unspecified number of Jaguar aircraft, though negotiations temporarily stalled because of the oil crisis.

India, according to the FCO South Asian Department head, had "expressed desire for [a] modest alternative to the Soviets as an arms supply source, and had begun discussions with the British early last summer." The British were smelling a deal "in the neighbourhood of 30-35 million pounds, probably only the first tranche of an ongoing program which could reach 100-120 million pounds over a period of time."

The Viggen pitch to India was of immense interest to the U.S. As one cable (1975STATE270066_b, secret) said, the aircraft "contains a large number of parts and components of U.S. origin which are therefore subject to USG control in third-party sales."

Jaguar, meanwhile, was aggressively in the hunt. A November 19, 1975 cable (1975NEWDE15350_b, confidential), said: "London has now decided to offer the Government Of India a more favorable financing arrangement, 71/4 percent over five years, than was earlier the case. The GOI has asked for two percent over 15 years, but the British tell us this is impossible. The GOI still wants 40 aircraft to be delivered within 36 months. The original British offer was 60 months, but they are now talking in terms of 40 odd months." The cable ends by saying that the final decision was expected to be political and made by the Prime Minister.

Another cable (1975PARIS33184_b confidential) details French concern that "Mrs Gandhi's advance toward dictatorship is now irreversible, and that French Prime Minister Chirac was unhappy with the idea of appearing to condone this development through his official visit" but also nursed the hope that the visit would be able to improve sales prospects for the Mirage F-1.

By the next year, the French Embassy is convinced (1976NEWDE00845_b, confidential) that it is Prime Minister [Indira] Gandhi alone who will make the final decision, and it will be on political grounds. The Swedes are also pushing their product. The French believed that the Swedes had dropped their price and offered to take rupees in payment. They were seen as moving towards delivering the first 24 to 36 aircraft to India, with the next aircraft being assembled in India under licence.

Rajiv Gandhi was 'entrepreneur' for Swedish jet, U.S. cable says - The Hindu
well its more or less like a test for a member of their family for getting ready to lead the country:thumb:
these revelations hardly have any importance or impact now except to show how monopoly works
 

p2prada

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Rajiv Gandhi was 'negotiator' for Swedish jet firm: WikiLeaks

Rajiv Gandhi was 'negotiator' for Swedish jet firm: WikiLeaks - The Times of India

NEW DELHI: The latest WikiLeaks revelations of Rajiv Gandhi having been a conduit in negotiations for a Swedish fighter plane in the 70s injected a fresh dose of acrimony in the already bitter Congress-BJP ties.

The WikiLeaks revelation flows from newly-released secret "Kissinger" cables dispatched by US embassy in India between 1973 and 1976 that claim Rajiv was the "negotiator" for a Swedish firm trying to sell fighters to Indian Air Force (IAF) by referring to a Swedish Embassy official in India.

The allegation is, perhaps, the first time a reference has been brought on record about the possibility of a member of the Congress party's first family being involved in an arms deal, though the fighter that Rajiv purportedly tried to sell did not win the contract finally.

The cable notes that while as a transport pilot, Rajiv would hardly be qualified to evaluate a fighter jet, the connection to the prime minister is what mattered.

Viggen, manufactured by Saab-Scania, was competing against British Jaguar and French Mirage fighters for a contract as part of India's efforts to wean off from the over-riding dependence on Russian equipment then. Viggen finally pulled out of the competition under US pressure because the latter refused to permit sale of the fighter, with several US equipment on board, to India.

The more than three-decade-old US cable triggered a political fight with BJP taking pot shots at the Congress asking how was it that the Gandhi family seemed linked to all major arms deals while the ruling party angrily denied the allegations.

BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said, "These are serious accusations and we would want the documents of that period be made public by the government. Also the Congress party and the Gandhi family must throw light...because the country wants to know why every time Sweden, Italy and Gandhi family come to the forefront in all defence scams."

AICC media head Janardan Dwivedi accused Wikileaks founder Julian Assange of "spreading lies and falsehoods". He said "having noted what the Swede (official referred to in the cable) has said, the cable makes the comment that there was no additional information to either refute or confirm the information. The foundation of the whole story falls flat here."

CPM general secretary Prakash Karat said the cables revealed how foreign firms have over the years recruited persons wielding political influence to swing large contracts. Both CPM and BJP referred to the alleged involvement of Congress leaders in deals from the Bofors to the AgustaWestland contract.

A US Embassy cable from New Delhi on October 21, 1975 said, "Swedish emboff (embassy official) has informed us that main Indian negotiator with Swedes on Viggen at New Delhi end has been Mrs. Gandhi's oler (sic) son, Rajiv Gandhi."

The cable said Rajiv's "only association with aircraft industry (to our knowledge) has been as pilot for Indian Airlines and this is first time we have heard his name as entrepreneur." Swedish embassy official told the US diplomat that French Dassault, which was pitching Mirage fighters, had the son-in-law of then IAF chief Air Chief Marshal O P Mehra as the agent. The Embassy cable quotes the Swedish official as saying that Indira Gandhi had "made personal decision not to purchase British Jaguar because of her prejudices against British."

The contract went to Jaguar, a British fighter, in 1978 after the anti-Congress coalition swept to power in 1977.

Another cable from the US Embassy in New Delhi said, "The Swedes here have also made it quite clear they understand the importance of family influences in the final decision in the fighter sweepstakes. Our colleague describes Ranjiv (sic) Gandhi in flattering terms, and contends his technical expertise is of a high level. This may or may not be. Offhand we would have thought a transport pilot not the best expert to rely upon in evaluating a fighter plane, but then we are speaking of a transport pilot who has another and perhaps more relevant qualification."

Even as Swedes were making their aggressive efforts in New Delhi, the US was growing concerned about the sale because of large numbers of American equipment onboard the fighter. In August 1976, US ambassador in Stockholm summoned the Saab-Scania president Curt Mileikowsky. "I informed him that USG (US government), after careful consideration, has concluded that no version of the Viggen containing any classified U.S. components would be acceptable for transfer to India. I said USG would also oppose any transfer to India, for local production, of the advanced U.S. technology represented in the Viggen's aerodynamic design, engine and flying controls, navigation system, electronic components and weapons systems."

The latest revelations, regarding Rajiv about a role that he probably played much before joining active politics and when he was an Indian Airlines pilot, set off a fresh round of political uproar.

CPM general secretary Prakash Karat on Monday said the cables was the latest revelation to show how foreign firms have been recruiting people with political connection in India to swing contracts. "In this case while no deal was made it should not be forgotten Bofors deal was made with the same country. Nexus of politicians, bureaucrats and arms companies continues. The latest being the AugustaWestland helicopter deal," Karat said.

Congress discarded Wikileaks revelations. "There are no grounds for WikiLeaks story and it is baseless and unfounded," Dwivedi said while questioning the credibility of the accusations made in the cable.
Interesting. A new round of corruption allegation on the Congress may be really bad for the govt.
 

vram

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Also interesting on a related matter....is it really suprising that the H24 Marut was given a quite burial. We had such high placed people vouching for phoren firms no was was really interested in promoting Indigenous?
Does any agree with me...after all wasn't the H24 time cycle also around these times??
 

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