Nishikant Dubey claims Rajiv Gandhi influenced 1977 Boeing deal, cites Shah Commission findings

New Delhi: BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Saturday accused former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi of exerting undue influence over a 1977 Indian Airlines aircraft purchase, alleging that he intervened to secure a deal with Boeing for personal commission instead of opting for Airbus, despite opposition from key government bodies.

In a post on X, Dubey directly targeted Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, questioning his father’s alleged involvement.

“Rahul Gandhi ji, in the pursuit of commission in 1977, did your father get Air India to purchase three Boeing aircraft instead of Airbus? Did your father attend meetings illegally without any authority? Did the opposition from the Planning Commission and the Finance Ministry not apply to your family for the sake of the commission?” he wrote.

The controversy dates back to the final months of the Emergency under then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, when Indian Airlines decided to purchase three Boeing 737 aircraft.

The deal was later scrutinised by the Shah Commission, which was set up in 1977 to investigate excesses during the Emergency. The commission found that the process was hurried and bypassed established procedures, pointing to irregularities in decision-making and the unusual presence of Rajiv Gandhi, who was then a pilot with Indian Airlines, in official meetings.

The Shah Commission’s findings highlighted that Rajiv Gandhi attended a crucial meeting in September 1976, where financial projections favouring Boeing were presented by the Director of Finance.

The commission noted that his participation was “totally outside the ordinary course of business” and raised questions about why a pilot was privy to 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 observed that the signing of the contract with Boeing took place even after the company’s offer had technically expired, suggesting undue haste and political pressure from the Prime Minister’s Office.

The procurement, worth Rs 30.55 crore, was said to have faced resistance from both the Planning Commission and the Finance Ministry, but was pushed through allegedly under instructions from Indira Gandhi’s office.

Witness testimonies before the Shah Commission cited political interference and irregularities surrounding the deal, further fueling allegations of corruption and misuse of authority.

Earlier on Friday, Dubey made a sensational charge at the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, alleging that he acted as an agent of a Swedish military company in the 1970s.

The BJP lawmaker took to social media and also shared a document to corroborate his charge.

“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 scathing attack on the Gandhi family and former Prime Minister came a day after the Congress party levelled charges against his wife and accused the couple of “amassing” wealth well beyond their declared income.

Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate, in a press conference on Thursday, cited election affidavits and questioned the astronomical rise in assets of Dubey’s wife from Rs 50 lakh in 2009 to Rs 31.32 crore by 2024.

She said that the corruption issue linked to him is so serious that the 56-year-old BJP MP could lose his Parliament membership from the Godda constituency.

IANS