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Bofors charge-sheet was ready two months back: Advani

Union Home Minister L K Advani today disclosed that the Central Bureau of Investigation charge-sheet in Bofors case was ready two months back but was filed yesterday as the National Democratic Alliance did not want to derive political mileage out of it in the Lok Sabha polls.

Reacting sharply to the Congress allegation that the charge-sheet was politically motivated, he told a news conference in Ahmedabad that when the CBI had sought the caretaker government's permission to file it in the court, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had said it would not be fair to do so in the midst of an election.

Some papers were still awaited from Swiss courts and a fresh charge-sheet would be filed thereafter, he added.

Replying to questions, Advani said that some of the accused were trying to stall the probe. ''And, I am told, investigations into the role of the Hindujas is also on.''

Tracing the history of Bofors case, Advani said it was not an ordinary scandal. ''Bofors has become a byword for the rampant corruption that is eating into the vitals of India's administrative and governmental system.''

So seismic was its impact, he said, that the people of India toppled the Rajiv Gandhi government and installed the one headed by V P.Singh. Thereafter, Bofors became the test-case for every succeeding government to prove its commitment to fight corruption.

Advani described the Narasimha Rao government's record in this regard as shameful. Not only did it not pursue the investigation seriously, but it also tried to sabotage it. ''This was evident in the hurried and suspicious manner in which the government allowed Ottovio Quattrocchi to leave India,'' he pointed out.

Even during the two United Front governments, which were propped up by the Congress, the party tried to delay and dilute the investigation into the Bofors case, he said.

UNI

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