The former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda on Thursday put to rest media speculation over middlemen making efforts to influence defence procurement deals when he was Prime Minister.
“There was no such thing,” Mr. Gowda told The Hindu in response to his son and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy's claims that even he had been approached with a bribe offer for a defence deal when his father was the Prime Minister.
Mr. Gowda said that he had cautioned his then Union Cabinet Secretary T.S.R. Subramanian against obliging even his sons and relatives if they tried to exploit his (Mr. Gowda's) position to their advantage.
Mr. Gowda quoted Mr. Subramanian himself in Babudom and Netaland, saying: “They [sons and relatives] will use their proximity to me, through open and subtle ways to influence you, and to put pressure on you. I want you to be completely fair and impartial and not oblige them.”
Mr. Subramanian has put my words in the book, Mr. Deve Gowda said.
Kumaraswamy clarifies
Meanwhile, Mr. Kumaraswamy also sought to clarify that he did not specifically say that bribe offers were made to him when Mr. Gowda was the Prime Minister.
He criticised the particular media for quoting him out of context.
“I merely said that middlemen rule the roost in the procurements made by many Central Government Departments”, Mr. Kumaraswamy said while speaking to The Hindu .
