Tehelka -- Tomorrow. Rupee or dollar?, Laxman -- Dollars. You can bring dollars.

Edited excerpts of Tehelka’s encounter with Bangaru Laxman

(RSS trustee R K Gupta was asking for a sum of Rs 25 lakh for an introduction to Laxman and getting the job done. Mohinder Pal Sahni, middleman and Honorary Consul General, Belize, himself put a figure of Rs 10 lakh...H C Pant offered to take us to Laxman. Eventually, Pant send Mohan Singh, former PS to former Minister of State for Defence Harin Pathak to introduce us Raju Venkatesh, Laxman’s personal secretary.)

Tehelka: Sir, this is thermal...thermal hand-held camera.
Bangaru Laxman: Hmmm. Hmmm.
Already, I spoke to defence people...officers. Lt Gen Choudhary...and Lt Gen Dhillon also.

So they are willing to take our item. it’s a very good item, compared to SCF Thomson and El-Op. They...are our competitors...Now, I need your favour to Defence Secretary.

Laxman: I know him, but at what stage is the proposal?
Tehelka: ...Already the file is with the Defence Secretary...So if Defence Secretary will agree, our company will be short-listed.
(The next meeting with Bangaru President Bangaru Laxman takes place in the New Year. By now, the token advance of Laxman has been whittled down to Rs one lakh from Rs five lakh. This after presenting a gold chain to his other secretary Satyamurti and a token amount of Rs 10,000 to Raju Venkatesh. Laxman: Sir, can...can I give you one lakh rupees for it? For a token...For the party fund.
Laxman: Hmmm.

Tehelka: I have five lakh rupees.
Laxman: Hmmm.

Tehelka: And today I give you one lakh rupees. For just the beginning. A New Year gift.
Laxman: Hmmm. Hmmm.

(Giving wads of currency notes): Tehelka:Sir, this is a small gift...
Laxman: Oh, no, no...

Tehelka: It’s a small gift for the New Year party. Right?
Tehelka: So that time can I call my boss here?
Laxman: Tomorrow...hmmm.
Tehelka: Five ‘o’clock.
Laxman: Yeah, in five ‘o’clock. In here?
Tehelka: Tomorrow. Rupee or dollar?
Laxman: Dollars. You can bring dollars.
(The third meeting with Laxman took place with Alvin Dsouza, president of West End. Laxman was expecting a sum of around $25,000 from West End. Here, Laxman talks about how the BJP and Vajpayee use Principal Secretary Brajesh Mishra as the guy who pushes through their deal.)

Laxman: So far, we have been taking the help of Brajesh Mishra to organise because Brajesh Mishra is there on a number of committees apart from Principal Secretary to Prime Minister...We normally turn to him because he has access to Defence, foreign and other related ministries.
uuu

Tehelka: And basically, is he the only person with influence? I’m sure you carry more influence than him?
Laxman:...No, he deals with the bureaucrary....And also conveys the views of the bureaucrary to Prime Minister. So he is the liaison between the bureaucrary and the Prime Minister....So,...therefore, whatever we tell the Prime Minister, he also normally has a word with Mishra.
Tehelka: Okay.

And then certain things he will say that ‘‘No, no, you convey this to Mishra’’...(continuing) ‘‘‘You pass on this information to Mishra’’’... That’s how things are here.

Laxman: (Nodding) he is. But I’ll find out all this information.

Copyright © 2001 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.