Bofors, Bhopal Tragedy: Sushma Swaraj Opens Fire at the Congress
Swaraj not only responded to Kharge’s allegations, but also attacked the Congress over Bofors and Bhopal Gas Tragedy.
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Earlier in the day, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge took on External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj over the Lalit Modi controversy. Kharge spoke during an adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha.
However, the party refused to hear the explanation that Swaraj wanted to present. Congress MPs began sloganeering as soon as the government expressed willingness to clarify.
Amid high-decibel chanting, Sushma Swaraj began her speech.
She said, “Congress leaders are shouting that they want justice but I am the one who wants justice and if they don’t listen to me, how will I get justice?”
Sushma Swaraj Explains Her Stand
- I stick to my stand that I have done no wrong.
- I said that if helping a woman in need who is also an Indian citizen then I’m guilty. Are they calling that an admission of guilt?
- When the British authorities have made it clear that the documents were given according to the law, then it becomes a non-issue.
- I want to clarify that my husband was not the lawyer in Lalit Modi’s passport case and my daughter was a no 9 lawyer who was appearing with her senior. So where is the conflict of interest?
Sushma Swaraj Attacks Chidambaram
After explaining her stand, Swaraj went on to attack P Chidambaram who was the Finance Minister in the previous UPA government.
Taking off from the conflict of interest point raised by Kharge, Swaraj said that a conflict of interest also occurred when Chidambaram was Finance Minister and his wife Nalini Chidambaram was representing the income tax department.
She claimed Nalini was paid over Rs 1 crore by Sudipto Sen involved in the Saradha scam, which was overseen by the then finance minister and her husband Chidambaram.
The Gandhis’ Deals with Quattrochi and Anderson
Sushma Swaraj went further ahead and dug out skeletons from the Congress’ past.
Raking up the Bhopal Gas Tragedy issue, Swaraj alleged that Union Carbide chief Warren Anderson was let off easily because of a quid pro quo with the US.
She said that Lalit Modi was never declared a fugitive but that the Congress government let Warren Anderson to flee the country.
Swaraj quoted details about the alleged Anderson-Rajiv nexus from the autobiography of former Madhya Pradesh CM Arjun Singh.
Anderson was granted bail and escorted out in a state plane. And the task had to be done discreetly. The media did not immediately get to know that Anderson flew out to Delhi and then to the USA.
— Excerpts from Arjun Singh’s autobiography A Grain of Sand in the Hourglass of Time, as quoted by Sushma Swaraj
She went ahead and read, “There was a huge hue and cry at the time. Anderson was flown out of India, never to return.”
The Deal for Adil Sharyar
Swaraj further alleged that the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi visited USA to meet a friend and Mohd Yunus’s son Adil Shahryar who was in prison serving a 35-year sentence.
Swaraj said that Shahryar was freed and the bargain was that India gave up Anderson in return.
Swaraj also trained her guns at Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi. She said that since Rahul likes to take vacations, he should take one more vacation and read the history of his own family. She also said that when Rahul comes back he should ask his mother Sonia Gandhi, “Mumma, how much money did we take from Quattrochi?”
Swaraj said, that is quid pro quo.
Concluding her fiery speech, Swaraj claimed that in her 38-year-long political career, her integrity has never been compromised, and those accusing her are themselves guilty.
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