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New Delhi: BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Saturday accused former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi of exerting undue influence over the 1977 Indian Airlines plane purchase, alleging that despite opposition from key government bodies, he intervened to secure the deal with Boeing for personal commission instead of choosing Airbus.
In a post on X, Dubey directly targeted Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and questioned his father’s alleged involvement.
“Rahul Gandhi ji, did your father buy three Boeing aircraft from Air India instead of Airbus in 1977 in pursuit of commission? Did your father attend meetings illegally without any authority? Did the opposition of the Planning Commission and the Finance Ministry to the commission not apply to your family?” He has written.
The controversy dates back to the last months of the Emergency under then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, when Indian Airlines decided to purchase three Boeing 737 aircraft.
The deal was later investigated by the Shah Commission, which was set up in 1977 to investigate excesses during the Emergency. The commission found that the process was rushed and bypassed established procedures, pointing to irregularities in decision-making and the unusual presence of Rajiv Gandhi, who was an Indian Airlines pilot at the time, at official meetings.
The findings of the Shah Commission highlighted that Rajiv Gandhi had attended an important meeting in September 1976, where financial projections were presented in favor of Boeing by the Finance Director.
The Commission said his involvement was “completely outside the ordinary course of business” and questioned why a pilot had knowledge of confidential financial discussions.
Dubey shared excerpts from the commission’s report, which detailed procedural lapses and recorded that the deal “broke all standard rules and requirements” without any evidence of comparative trials or feasibility studies.
The report also found that the contract signing with Boeing occurred even after the company’s offer had technically expired, suggesting undue haste and political pressure on the part of the Prime Minister’s Office.
The purchase of Rs 30.55 crore was said to have faced opposition from both the Planning Commission and the Finance Ministry, but was reportedly moved forward under instructions from Indira Gandhi’s office.
Testimony of witnesses before the Shah Commission cited political interference and irregularities surrounding the deal, leading to further allegations of corruption and abuse of power.
Earlier on Friday, Dubey had made a sensational allegation against former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, alleging that he had worked as an agent of a Swedish military company in the 1970s.
The BJP MLA also shared a document on social media to confirm his allegation.
“Rahul Gandhi ji’s father, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi ji, was an agent of a Swedish military company, meaning he was involved in brokerage in the 70s?” he said in a post on X.
Dubey’s sharp attack on the Gandhi family and the former prime minister comes a day after the Congress party leveled allegations against his wife and accused the couple of “accumulating” assets far beyond their declared income.
Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinet, at a press conference on Thursday, cited election affidavits and raised questions over Dubey’s wife’s wealth increasing from Rs 50 lakh in 2009 to Rs 31.32 crore by 2024.
He said the corruption case involving him is so serious that the 56-year-old BJP MP may have to lose his Parliament membership from Godda constituency.
–IANS