As someone who 30 years ago stood as the Janata Dal candidate against Rajiv Gandhi in Amethi, I may be allowed to comment on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s now infamous remark about the earlier PM. For three years or so of his premiership, Rajiv Gandhi was indeed termed “Mr Clean” by what was then an independent media, not by persons close to him. It is also true that unsuccessful attempts were made to link Rajiv Gandhi to kickbacks from Sweden’s Bofors company after India’s defence ministry ordered that company’s field-guns in 1987. But when, in 1989, I stood as a Janata Dal candidate against Rajiv Gandhi in Amethi, Bofors did not figure in a large way in my campaign. To speak in my favour, V P Singh (who would become prime minister at the end of 1989) and Mulayam Singh Yadav came to Amethi.

Source: Indian Express May 06, 2019 20:15 UTC