India protests, accuses Swedish daily of distorting Pranab Mukherjee's comments on Bofors scam

New Delhi: The row over President Pranab Mukherjee's comments on Bofors scam in an interview to a Swedish Daily is spilling over with India lodging a strong protest. India has objected to the manner in which the interview was presented bt the Swedish daily Daygens Nyheter.

In an interview to Daygens Nyheter, the President had reportedly said that Bofors scam was a media trial that could not be proven in any Indian court.

But more than a day after the interview was carried by the newspaper, India accused the national daily for misrepresenting Mukhrejee's comments. The President's office said that instead of highlighting the importance of the visit, the interview chose to divert the attention to other issues.

"Instead of highlighting the importance of first ever presidential visit from the world's largest and fastest growing democracy to Sweden, you have chosen to divert attention to other issues in a patronizing and flippant manner. Unethical to include an off the record correction about a slip of the tongue," the statement from the President's office said.

Replying to the rebuttal by India, Daygens Nyheter Editor said, "It is surprising that someone representing the world's largest democracy is trying to micromanage which questions we should ask a head of state, and which answers should be published. We have conducted the interview in the same manner as we do whenever we interview other heads of state and government."

In an interview to a Swedish national daily, the President had said he was the defence minister of the country long after the scandal and all army generals certified that Bofors were one of the best guns in the military.

"It is yet to be to be established that there was a scandal. No Indian court has established it. I was the defence minister of the country long after Bofors, and all my generals certified that this is one of the best guns we are having. Till today, Indian army is using it. The so-called scandal, yes, in the media, it was there. There was a media trial. But I'm afraid, let us not be too much carried by publicity," he said.

Meanwhile, despite the row, President Mukherjee is going ahead with his visit to Sweden towards the end of May.