"A Cabinet Secretary Looks Back" (PP219/220) - Excerpts

Author: B.G.Deshmukh
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"That the PRIME MINISTER'S HOUSE (of Rajiv Gandhi)had access to funds from abroad,I became aware of in a very curious way.After Arun Singh was shifted from the PMO to the Ministry of Defence,the cabinet secretary supervised the Prime Minister's special security force in a rather loose fashion and I became associated with this.Sometime in October 1986 one of the security officers at 7RACE COURSE ROAD said that two or three of them would be going to Italy within a couple of months for special trining.I was rather upset as I had neither seen nor cleared that prposal but Rajiv Gandhi said that this had been arranged by the Prime Minister's House and 'the Party would bear the expenses'.I was not at all happy as the security force was not for Rajiv Gandhi but for the Prime Minister of India and,therefore,arrangements for its training and its expenses should be borne by the government.-----------"Rajiv Gandhi said that I should discuss and resolve this matter with Captain Satish Sharma.Satish Sharma said that Joshi,director of RAW,could speak to a certain Italian,whom he named,and settle the details.When I asked who he was,he had a hearty laugh and said that Joshi would know him.Joshi was more diplomatic and said it might have escaped my memory that this person was Rajiv Gandh's in-law.Joshi came to me after a week with a curious follow up report.When his Geneva office asked the Italian gentleman to make arrangements to pick up the amount in US dollars he said that Joshi himself should make arrangements to bring the amount in Italian currency and deliver it in Italy.Joshi was not at all happy with this as it would entail carrying about a quarter million US dollars in Italian currency in a big suitcase,which was sure to invite trouble.I told Joshi that I would clarify this.I told Rajiv Gandhi that the arrangement suggested was not acceptable,specially because the amount asked for was so large.He flushed and told me to forget the whole affair.Later I learnt that the Prime Minister's House was asked to be more discreet with me.The security officers were not sent to Italy for training but an Italian expert came to India(of course he became rather unpopular with the security force for he would throw his weight around).I also realised that in the mughal-darbar-like functioning of the Gandhi's I had committed the cardinal sin of cross-checking with the king himself the messge he conveyed to me through his aides."
 

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