In his tell-all book, Makhan Lal Fotedar revealed that Indira Gandhi had warned son Rajiv Gandhi against involving actor Amitabh Bachchan in politics and including Madhavrao Scindia in his cabinet.

Fotedar had said that a few days before her assassination on 31 October 1984, she had summoned him, Rajiv Gandhi and Arun Nehru.

"During the course of the conversation regarding parliamentary elections, she categorically told her son two things he should never do in future - do not ever bring Teji's son - Amitabh - into electoral politics and do not induct Scindia in your cabinet if you ever become the Prime Minister," Fotedar wrote. 

Fotedar said when Amitabh was a Lok Sabha MP from Allahabad between 1985 and 1987, he had become extremely powerful and had started interfering in party matters in UP, MP, Rajasthan and Maharashtra.

"I was also getting reports about his interference in the appointment and transfer of officers in the ministries," Fotedar said.

"Amitabh came to see the Prime Minister. They had discussions. That day around 2.45pm or so when I was about to leave for lunch, the Prime Minister called me. He was accompanied by Amitabh, looking charismatic as usual in a white kurta pyjama. They were walking towards 7 Race Course Road (the Prime Minister's residence). We went inside. The PM took a chair. On his right was Amitabh and I was asked to sit on his left."

"Rajivji told him Fotedarji wants you to resign. That was a surprise to me - and it must have been to Amitabh also."

To this, Amitabh said: "If Fotedarji wants me to resign, I am ready to resign. Come on, give me the papers. What do I have to write?"

Fotedar then asked Vincent George, personal assistant to Rajiv Gandhi, to get his letter pad. "I told Amitabh: Write in your hand to the Speaker, I resign from the Lok Sabha."

In response, Amitabh said: "That is it?" and the note was sent to the Speaker who accepted the actor's resignation. 

"The truth is that I had never discussed this matter with the PM nor had Rajivji ever discussed it with me," he wrote.