In his book Beyond Boundaries: A Memoir, the London-based businessman says `strenuous efforts' were made to get him to buy equipment for a fertiliser plant in India, from an Italian government firm Snamprogetti, represented by Quattrocchi.

Paul says he resisted the pressure to buy from Snamprogetti. His licence to set up the fertiliser complex was then not renewed by the Rajiv Gandhi government, while automatic extension was normally granted in similar cases.

Reacting to The Indian Express report today on the Swraj Paul version, Prabhu said in a statement: ``I was the fertiliser minister at that time and would like to put the record straight.'' Claiming that Paul's version was `totally false and misleading', he said it was unfortunate that the businessman -- now a member of the House of Lords -- wastrying to malign Rajiv Gandhi.

Prabhu said Paul was granted a license to set up a fertiliser plant in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh, in 1985. But he did not take any effective steps to implement the project for three years. The former fertiliser minister said that Paul and his brother Surinder Paul had met him several times and he had impressed upon them then, the need to take the project seriously and implement it soon. Prabhu said the choice of equipment for the plant was not even discussed. ``They had not even acquired the necessary land for the project. The stage had not come about for any purchase of equipment.''

Several extensions of the licence were granted, the former fertiliser minister said, adding he had personally asked them to implement the project.