'Ex-U.K. Minister lobbied for Hinduja's passport'

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON, JAN 21. A fresh controversy has erupted over the grant of British citizenship to Mr. Srichand Hinduja two years ago, following allegations that it was given in exchange for his £ one million donation to the Millennium Dome and at the intervention of the Northern Ireland secretary, Mr. Peter Mandelson, who was then the Minister in-charge of the Dome.

Mr. Hinduja, who is currently in India facing investigations in the Bofors kickback scandal, had been turned down for citizenship earlier but when he applied again in March 1999, after Mr. Mandelson allegedly lobbied his case, he was given a passport in an unusually short period. Ever since he was granted citizenship, questions have been raised here if it was appropriate for the Government to have done so considering that he was at the centre of a corruption scandal and there could be demand from India for his extradition.

His brother, Gopichand, was given a British passport in 1997. The Observer, in a front-page story today called it a ``passports for favours scandal'' and said it raised questions on the relationship between New Labour and its ``rich business friends.''

It said Mr. Mandelson ``approached the Home Office to find out whether an application from Mr. Srichand Hinduja, who had already been turned down for a British passport, would be welcome.

``(Mr.) Hinduja duly applied in March 1999 and received his passport six months later - a third of the time a typical decision takes,'' it said adding that another Minister, Mr. Keith Vaz, had also approached the Home Office on Mr. Hinduja's behalf. Mr. Mandelson had been close to the Hindujas and four days after Mr. Srichand Hinduja got his passport, he hosted a reception to honour the British legal system to which Mr. Mandelson was also invited.

Mr. Mandelson, in a statement, denied that he had lobbied Mr. Hinduja's case but acknowledged ``finding out the lie of the land'' as The Observer put it. He said:``To the limited extent that I was involved in this matter I was always very sensitive to the proprieties... At no time did I support or endorse this application for citizenship.''

The Liberal Democrat MP, Mr. Norman Baker, demanded a ``clear statement'' from the Government on ``who lobbied the Home Office on the Hindujas' behalf and when.

``We have a rich businessman in the middle of a corruption scandal who gets a British passport in record time after donating £ one million to the Dome. It now appears the Minister responsible for the Dome helped get him a passport,'' he said, according to The Observer which recalled Hindujas' ``networking'' with the heart of the British ruling establishment.

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