Soviets supplied money to Congress party in covert contributions, claims CIA

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New Delhi: The Soviets paid huge sums of money to the Congress party during the rein of the then prime minister Indira Gandhi, claims a report.

“Up to 40 percent of Indira Gandhi’s parliamentarians received political contributions from Moscow,” the Economic Times reported citing CIA reports.

According to the Times, the recently declassified CIA report dated December 1985, claims that Moscow was deeply involved in the Indian political process through covert contributions to parties and individuals.

The report titled “The Soviets in India” also reportedly claimed that “the Soviet embassy maintains a large reserve of rupees for various uses — including clandestine payments to Congress politicians”.

The Times also noted that the recent CIA revelations were similar to the claims made by former KGB operative Vasili Mitrokhin who had alleged that Moscow supplied money in suitcases to Indira Gandhi for the Congress party.

Mitrokhin reportedly made the revelations in a book in 2005.

He claimed that the KGB had funded election campaigns of former defence minister VK Krishna Menon, besides four other Union ministers in the 1970s.

CIA also named the CPI and CPM as benefactors of Soviet funding, The Times, which claims to have assessed the report, said.

“Soviet funding reaches the two Communist parties, the CPI and CPM through a combination of kickback schemes, normal business transactions and direct cash payments,” it said quoting the CIA report.