Some days ago, Bhuvnesh Chaturvedi, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), waled into, Race Course Road to meet the Prime Minister, As is the norm, he first parked his briefease in the room of PV Narasimha Rao’s Officer on Special Duty (OSD), R.KKhandekar,
The innocuous action drew aloud protest. “No,” an agitated Khandekar is believed to have cried. “Please to not leave the bag in my room, it is big enough to fit Rs 500,000!” The comment was made partly in jest, but seeing Khandekar’s discomfiture, the Minister shifted his briefcase to an adjoining room.
The incident reveals how signs of strain and paranoia are showing On members of the Prime Minister’s staff ever since stock broker Harshad Mehta made his sensational charge of having paid off $3million to Rao.
By all accounts, the strain is showing most on Khandekar, who is Rao’s closest aide and acts personal secretary, in house compounder and general faction. He is at the center of the story spun out by Mehta. For the 59year old Government officer from Nagpur, the scandal has leant a traumatic transition from faceless, petty bureaucrat to a nationally infamous figure of controversy.
Many observers have felt that unnecessary suspicions are being aroused about Khandeka because he alone of all the dramatist personal in the story has kept silent and remained un ended. Others have at least issued denials or counter denials. Then, Khandekar is perhaps the most low profile personal secretary any Prime Minister has had
Sources say that at no stage during the lengthy crisis management meetings held at the Prime Minister’s residence, has a serious suggestion been made cither by Congressmen or bureaucrats that a denial be made in Khandekar’s name.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 9, 1993
