BJP, Left want government's explanation on Bofors revelations

New Delhi, April 25 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Left Wednesday demanded an explanation from the government on former Swedish police chief Sten Lindstrom's revelations on the Bofors payoff scandal, including the safe passage to main accused Ottavio Quattrochchi.

The BJP said it had always questioned the safe passage to Italian businessman Quattrochchi in the Rs.1,500 crore Bofors gun deal in the 1980s.

"The entire government of late Rajiv Gandhi was out to secure Ottavio Quattrochchi. What was his link with the government and with the Gandhi family that the entire government was there to bail him out... it is a serious matter," said BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad.

"The way Quattrochchi was helped to move out of the country gave a clear indication of the government's intention. We have always raised the question on Quattrochchi. The government must look into the issue again," added his colleague Rajiv Pratap Rudy.

The Communist Party of India (CPI) sought the government's response on Lindstrom's revelations.

"The government and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) cannot ignore this revelation. They have to come forward with a response on how Quattrochchi was allowed or could go scott free or could have a safe passage from India," said CPI leader D. Raja.

In an interview to website thehoot.org, Lindstrom, who had operated under pseudonym Swedish Deep Throat, said there was no evidence to show that Gandhi had taken a bribe in the Bofors deal but he didn't stop the cover-up to protect Quattrochi.

Lindstrom also said that the case against actor and then Congress MP Amitabh Bachchan and his family was planted in Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter by Indian investigators.

"We knew the truth 25 years back but justice takes its own time and our stand has been vindicated," said Rajya Sabha member Jaya Bachchan.