The Bofors scam became a major political controversy, influencing the subsequent general elections, which Congress lost elections.
Amitabh Bachchan and Boforsgate: If you have heard about Bofors scandal and the name of Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan associated with it, here is a shocking report that will surprise you. In a newly released book by veteran journalist Chitra Subramaniam named Boforsgate: A Journalist’s Pursuit of Truth, the journalist has claimed that a section of the then government and media attempted to implicate Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan, who was a Congress MP from Allahabad at the time.
For those unversed, the Bofors scandal shook the Rajiv Gandhi government. It involved allegations of kickbacks in awarding a Swiss company the contract for 155mm field guns. The scam became a major political controversy, influencing the subsequent general elections, which Congress lost elections. However, neither Rajiv Gandhi nor any member of his family or party has been found guilty to date.
Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan was sought to be implicated in the Bofors scandal by a planted story linking his name to a secret Swiss account for kickbacks from the Swedish arms giant as part of a “vicious campaign”, says journalist Chitra Subramaniam.
“No, there was absolutely no shred of evidence that he (Amitabh Bachchan) had taken any money. But the water had been muddied so much that by the time the water could be cleaned up, the damage had been done,” Subramaniam told IANS in an interview.
“And you know how it is like, imagine the name of the Bachchans, I mean it’s a big name…”
The story broke out in two Swedish papers and then in a number of Indian papers, and Subramaniam said she was asked by several people how she had missed the story but stuck to her guns of not doing it unless she obtained independent confirmation and was eventually vindicated. In the book, she also notes how the Bachchans came to her house for dinner, and the talks eventually veered on to Bofors, and she told him that she had not found any evidence against him.
(With inputs from agencies)
