In a renewed political attack, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey has alleged that the Indian National Congress received financial support from the United States’ Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) during the Cold War, accusing the party of undermining India’s sovereignty for foreign funding and political leverage.
Taking to social media on Monday morning, Dubey shared excerpts from declassified U.S. documents, a 1979 Rajya Sabha debate, and a letter written by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to U.S. President Richard Nixon. The BJP leader claimed these sources reveal a history of secret financial dealings between the Congress party and foreign governments.
Key Allegations:
Dubey outlined four major points in his post:
Nixon-Kissinger Discussion on India:
He cited a declassified conversation between President Richard Nixon and U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in which they discussed a proposed $300 million aid package for India. The conversation, Dubey said, reflected how the U.S. viewed India’s return to diplomatic engagement following the 1971 Indo-Pak war and Bangladesh’s creation, while also noting India’s vulnerability to Soviet influence.
Rajya Sabha Admission in 1979:
Referencing a parliamentary debate held on May 10, 1979, Dubey pointed to a statement by then Home Minister H.M. Patel. In response to a question about a claim made in former U.S. Ambassador Daniel Patrick Moynihan’s memoir A Dangerous Place, Patel acknowledged that the U.S. allegedly gave money to the Congress Party on two occasions: once to defeat the Communist Party in Kerala, and once to support a general election campaign. Patel added that the government had no direct evidence, but noted Moynihan would not have made the claim lightly.
CIA-Linked RAW Agent Escape:
Dubey questioned why the Congress-led UPA government failed to extradite former Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) officer Ravindra Singh, who fled to the U.S. in 2004. Singh was suspected of being a double agent working for the CIA. “Why was there no action taken between 2005 and 2014?” Dubey asked.
Violation of Funding Laws:
The BJP MP argued that foreign contributions to political parties at the time could be compared to modern violations under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), though they were then regulated by the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA).
Gandhi-Nixon Letter Cited:
Dubey also posted a copy of a letter from Indira Gandhi to Richard Nixon, dated November 28, 1972, in which the Indian prime minister expressed a desire to rebuild ties with the U.S. after the tensions surrounding the 1971 war. Gandhi wrote that mutual understanding and friendship between the two nations could contribute to peace and global stability. Dubey, however, interpreted the letter as a political pivot, accusing Gandhi of softening her stance toward the very government she had previously accused of siding with Pakistan.
“Can the Nation Trust Congress?” Asks Dubey
Concluding his post, Dubey raised concerns about the implications of these historical ties. “The Soviet Union gave money to leaders, journalists, bureaucrats, and businessmen. The U.S. did the same. Can this country trust a party that allegedly accepted foreign funds to fight elections?” he asked.
No Official Response from Congress
As of now, the Congress party has not issued a formal statement responding to the allegations. The claims are likely to stir fresh debate in Parliament and revive longstanding discussions over foreign influence in India’s domestic politics.
This is not the first time Cold War-era international alignments have resurfaced in modern political discourse, but Dubey’s allegations, if further substantiated, could lead to calls for a deeper investigation into India’s post-independence political funding history.