Mumbai: Seeking to corner the Congress on the Bofors issue, Leader of Opposition LK Advani on Monday equated Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrochhi with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, saying both had committed 'grave crimes' and were 'no different'.
"He (Quattrochhi) is no different from Dawood. Both are fugitives, who have run away from the country. While Dawood is involved in the Mumbai blasts, Quattrochhi siphoned off the country's money," he said on the fifth day of his Bharat Suraksha Yatra.
Asked what the NDA government did for Quattrochhi's extradition during its tenure, the former deputy prime minister said: "While the earlier Congress government allowed him to leave the country, the Vajpayee government generated international pressure, prompting the Interpol to declare him a fugitive."
"Like in the case of Dawood, who too is a fugitive, we were not able to get him (Quattrochhi) back, but Abu Salem was extradited due to our efforts," he said.
Advani alleged that Quattrocchi was first allowed to leave the country and later the Italian businessman said he had no faith in the Indian judicial system.
Recalling a recent statement reportedly made by Quattrocchi that he had good relations with the Gandhi family, the BJP leader said "that is why we asked Sonia Gandhi to use her good offices to pursuade Quattrocchi to come to India and present his case before the Indian courts."
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