File photo: Congress President Sonia Gandhi
New Delhi:
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam or the LTTE had a 'mole' in 10 Janpath, and former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's assassination was part of a conspiracy "hatched by several influential people in faraway places", says former home secretary RD Pradhan.
"Someone inside 10 Janpath provided crucial information to the mole," says Mr Pradhan in his recently released book, My Years with Rajiv and Sonia, but he does not identify the 'mole'.
"I know for sure that Sonia Gandhi, who was away in Amethi virtually throughout the 1991 Lok Sabha election campaign, feels the same way," he claims in the 311-page book.
Mr Pradhan, who later became the governor of Arunachal Pradesh, says although many suspects were arrested and some convicted for the former prime minister's 1991 killing, "I think it is ordained that the truth shall not come out".
Mr Gandhi was the opposition leader when he was blown up at an election rally site near Chennai by a woman suicide bomber of the LTTE on May 21, 1991.
The LTTE denied any involvement, but Indian investigators claimed the Tamil Tigers assassinated Mr Gandhi to avenge the earlier deployment of the Indian Army in Sri Lanka's northeast.
Mr Pradhan, who joined Rajiv Gandhi's team later, said, "On the basis of hindsight, one must admit that in the entire security planning in Delhi, the possibility of the LTTE making an attempt on the life of RG (Rajiv Gandhi) had been overlooked".
He says he once saw some Sri Lankans seated outside the 10 Janpath office of Vincent George, a long-time aide to the Gandhis.
"Obviously they had a contact at 10 Janpath who could arrange secret meetings with RG that not many knew of. I certainly did not," he says.
According to Mr Pradhan, the one person who could have saved Mr Gandhi was then Tamil Nadu governor Bhishma Narain Singh. Tamil Nadu was then under President's Rule.
"Wasn't it the governor's responsibility to go into the whole security matter thoroughly? I have my doubts whether he applied his mind to the complexities involved," he says.
Mr Pradhan says that he specifically telephoned the governor to review the security arrangements for Mr Gandhi, who was leading the Congress's election campaign.
Once Mr Gandhi was killed, Mr Pradhan says, he told the governor to resign if he had any self-respect and take the responsibility for the Tamil Nadu Police's failure to protect the former prime minister.
"I used very harsh language while talking to him (governor). What I said to Bhishma Narain Singh that day could be interpreted as my giving vent to anger, sorrow and mental agony, but the fact remains that despite several warnings, the governor did not apply his mind or use his powers to ensure adequate security."
"He was the only one who could have stopped Rajiv Gandhi from visiting Sriperumbudur (the assassination spot) that night even after RG had landed at the Madras (Chennai) airport," says Mr Pradhan.
As a former home secretary, says Mr Pradhan, he was aware of the threats to Rajiv Gandhi's life.
"RG was the prime target of several organisations, including those of Sikh militants, the Sri Lanka-based LTTE and even the USA's Central Intelligence Agency (according to some sources). The Americans did not exactly appreciate RG's pan-Asian role and were wary of his returning to power with a fresh mandate," he claims.
"Someone inside 10 Janpath provided crucial information to the mole," says Mr Pradhan in his recently released book, My Years with Rajiv and Sonia, but he does not identify the 'mole'.
"I know for sure that Sonia Gandhi, who was away in Amethi virtually throughout the 1991 Lok Sabha election campaign, feels the same way," he claims in the 311-page book.
Mr Pradhan, who later became the governor of Arunachal Pradesh, says although many suspects were arrested and some convicted for the former prime minister's 1991 killing, "I think it is ordained that the truth shall not come out".
Mr Gandhi was the opposition leader when he was blown up at an election rally site near Chennai by a woman suicide bomber of the LTTE on May 21, 1991.
The LTTE denied any involvement, but Indian investigators claimed the Tamil Tigers assassinated Mr Gandhi to avenge the earlier deployment of the Indian Army in Sri Lanka's northeast.
Mr Pradhan, who joined Rajiv Gandhi's team later, said, "On the basis of hindsight, one must admit that in the entire security planning in Delhi, the possibility of the LTTE making an attempt on the life of RG (Rajiv Gandhi) had been overlooked".
He says he once saw some Sri Lankans seated outside the 10 Janpath office of Vincent George, a long-time aide to the Gandhis.
"Obviously they had a contact at 10 Janpath who could arrange secret meetings with RG that not many knew of. I certainly did not," he says.
According to Mr Pradhan, the one person who could have saved Mr Gandhi was then Tamil Nadu governor Bhishma Narain Singh. Tamil Nadu was then under President's Rule.
"Wasn't it the governor's responsibility to go into the whole security matter thoroughly? I have my doubts whether he applied his mind to the complexities involved," he says.
Mr Pradhan says that he specifically telephoned the governor to review the security arrangements for Mr Gandhi, who was leading the Congress's election campaign.
Once Mr Gandhi was killed, Mr Pradhan says, he told the governor to resign if he had any self-respect and take the responsibility for the Tamil Nadu Police's failure to protect the former prime minister.
"I used very harsh language while talking to him (governor). What I said to Bhishma Narain Singh that day could be interpreted as my giving vent to anger, sorrow and mental agony, but the fact remains that despite several warnings, the governor did not apply his mind or use his powers to ensure adequate security."
"He was the only one who could have stopped Rajiv Gandhi from visiting Sriperumbudur (the assassination spot) that night even after RG had landed at the Madras (Chennai) airport," says Mr Pradhan.
As a former home secretary, says Mr Pradhan, he was aware of the threats to Rajiv Gandhi's life.
"RG was the prime target of several organisations, including those of Sikh militants, the Sri Lanka-based LTTE and even the USA's Central Intelligence Agency (according to some sources). The Americans did not exactly appreciate RG's pan-Asian role and were wary of his returning to power with a fresh mandate," he claims.
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