Prabhu claimed he had "Rajiv’s orders"

In a statement issued today, Paul said Prabhu, whom he only met once, has "jumped the gun" in his response to less than one page of a book that deals with his life and not with political scandals in India.

He asserts that farfrom "maligning Rajiv Gandhi", he describes how the people around the prime minister freely used his name, and pushed for him to purchase equipment from Snamprogetti. Paul said Prabhu and Quattrocchi "told me that prime minister wanted this equipment used. Prabhu’s words were "the boss wants it".

He said: "It is Mr Prabhu who is maligning the late Rajiv Gandhi by using his name in this matter."

While Paul said that Rajiv Gandhi did tell him to ignore everything else and buy only the "best and the cheapest", he admits that his proximity to the prime minister did not help in pushing through the project and that things were much easier for others who did purchase Snamprogetti equipment. He told The Indian Express that there were "only two possibilities. First that Rajiv was indulging in duplicity and second that these fellows were using his name." Paul said that Prabhu’s denial of his role and assertion that the choice of equipment were never discussed is "outrageous and ridiculous." He said thatPrabhu’s allegations that he was moving too slowly on the project and had not purchased the land for the plant are without basis. He said that Prabhu knows that "we were chasing the ministry for permission to purchase the equipment and we were ahead of him."

He said that apart from pushing him to purchase Snamprogetti equipment, which was more expensive — and in Paul’s assessment inferior — was only "more anxious that I report to Rajiv Gandhi that he (Prabhu) was doing a great job as minister. This seemed an obsessive concern of his and he clearly wanted me to tell Rajiv Gandhi that he was a loyal minister — a concern justified by his later removal from fertilizer ministry." Paul, reacting to criticism of the fact that he failed to give details of his dealings with the Rajiv regime, said: "I am writing a book about myself …. not Rajiv."