Despite their bravado, Congressmen uneasy about Bofors papers

Syed Firdaus Ashraf in New Delhi

Congress leaders say they are not unduly worried about the Bofors papers which were handed over to the Indian embassy and the Central Bureau of Investigation in Switzerland on Tuesday.

There has been considerable speculation that the Bofors papers may contain information to indict then Congress prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and thereby embarass his party whose leaders propiate his widow Sonia Gandhi as a mother figure.

Asked Tariq Anwar, political secretary to Congress president Sitaram Kesri, "Why should we worry when the Congress or our late leader Rajiv Gandhi has nothing to do with Bofors?"

Many might see this as typical Congress stonewalling. Seven years ago, the Congress and Rajiv Gandhi were ousted from power in the wake of allegations that he had received kickbacks in the Bofors howtizer deal. Though the allegations were never proven, the Congress has been unable to shake off the miasma surrounding its leader.

Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda is under considerable pressure from his partners in the United Front to place the Bofors papers before Parliament. Though no Congressman this correspondent spoke to accepts -- even off the record -- that Rajiv Gandhi was involved in the murky deal, all of them agree that Deve Gowda could use the Bofors papers to intimidate the Congress party which has been threatening to withdraw support to his government.

Ajit Jogi, a former IAS officer and Congress MP who is reputed to be close to Sonia Gandhi, told Rediff On The NeT, "It is a shame the United Front government has not bothered to seriously investigate the killing of Rajiv Gandhi, but is more concerned about a dead issue like Bofors."

What happens in the event that Rajiv Gandhi is named as one of those who received kickbacks in the Bofors deal? Says Indira Jaising, the prominent Supreme Court lawyer, "If a person is held guilty of taking bribes, the money can be recovered from his family after his death."

If that happens then Sonia Gandhi will be in the dock and this would considerably embarass the Congress leadership whose every leader yearns to win favour with the lady who resides at 10 Janpath.