Agencies/New Delhi

Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi may have been a middleman for an arms deal in the 1970s, according to diplomatic cables published yesterday.

The Hindu newspaper, accessing new information compiled by WikiLeaks, cites confidential US embassy cables stating that Gandhi was employed by Swedish group Saab-Scania to help sell its Viggen fighter jet.

Gandhi, who was then outside politics and working as a commercial pilot, was the “main negotiator” for Saab-Scania and was paid because of his access to his mother Indira Gandhi who was prime minister at the time, the cables say.

They cite information given by Swedish embassy officials but also state that US officials were unable to confirm or deny the information.

“We would have thought a transport pilot is not the best expert to rely upon in evaluating a fighter plane, but then we are speaking of a transport pilot who has another and perhaps more relevant qualification,” a US diplomat was quoted as noting wryly in one of the cables.

An October 21, 1975, cable from the US embassy in New Delhi details information given to it by a diplomat in the Swedish embassy. “Mrs Gandhi’s oder [sic] son’s only association with the aircraft industry (to our knowledge) has been as a pilot for Indian Airlines and this is the first time we have heard his name as entrepreneur.”

The cable goes on to say, “Mrs Gandhi (according to the Swedish info) has made the personal decision not to purchase the British Jaguar because of her prejudices against the British. The decision would be between the Mirage [Dassault Mirage F1] and the Viggen.”

According to the cable, the negotiator for French aircraft maker Dassault’s Mirage fighter was the son-in-law of the air chief Air Marshal O P Mehra. “Swedish Emboff says that Dassault has Son-in-Law of Indian Air Marshall Mehra as its chief negotiator for mirage sale,” The Hindu newspaper, said quoting the cables.

The Congress said cables were “baseless” and “unfounded,” and hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party for asking it to “come clean.”

“There are no grounds for WikiLeaks story and it is baseless and unfounded,” Congress general secretary Janardhan Dwivedi said.

Referring to the BJP’s comments, Dwivedi said: “We should think where we are taking politics.”

The Congress leader said an attempt was being made to create an atmosphere of suspicion. He said the Congress was an organisation that was over 125 years old and was dedicated to values.

Dwivedi also hit out at the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) about socialist leader George Fernandes being prepared to accept money from US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

Dwivedi said Fernandes was not well and he did not want to make an allegation against him.

“But, is it true he got money from CIA,” he asked. Fernandes was a senior minister in the NDA government.

“The WikiLeaks revelations are serious,” BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar said.

“This is absolutely shocking revelation, let us not forget that the revelations are making two specific charges, about two of their late prime ministers Indiraji and Rajivji.”

“They are connected to the first family of Congress. All defence deals have some relation with the Congress’ first family. They should come clean on this, all the documents should be made public. We want the government, Congress and the family to come clean on it,” Javadekar told a news channel.

Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in 1991. His Italian-born widow Sonia is now head of the ruling Congress Party and their son Rahul is positioned as a prime ministerial candidate before elections scheduled for next year.

After entering politics reluctantly, Rajiv was later tarnished by a scandal involving Swedish gun manufacturer Bofors, which was accused of paying bribes to middlemen including an Italian businessman close to the Gandhis.

The Congress lost elections in 1989, a defeat partly attributed to the Bofors scandal.

Saab-Scania ultimately lost in its bid to sell its Viggen jets to India. British-made Jaguar planes were selected for the tender.