In a scathing post shared this morning (July 1) on X (formerly Twitter), BJP MP Nishikant Dubey revived a decades-old controversy and accused the Congress party of receiving funds from the United States’ Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) during the Cold War era. Backing his claims with declassified documents, official letters, and references to a 1979 Rajya Sabha debate, Dubey claimed that not only did Congress accept foreign money to fight elections, but also tried to rebuild ties with the US after the 1971 Indo-Pak war by downplaying national dignity.
Key Claims Made by Dubey
In his detailed post, Dubey wrote: “CIA’s money with Congress Iron Lady Indira Gandhi—after melting the iron, i.e., after surrendering to Pakistan in the Shimla Agreement—she wrote to US President Nixon asking to rebuild ties. Today, I raise four questions that Congress must answer.”
CIA का पैसा कांग्रेस के पास
आयरन लेडी इंदिरा गांधी जी ने आयरन पिघलने के बाद यानि शिमला समझौते में पाकिस्तान के आगे सरेंडर करने के बाद अमेरिकी राष्ट्रपति निक्सन को पत्र के जबाब के ज़रिए सम्बन्ध बनाने का आग्रह किया
1. अमेरिकी राष्ट्रपति निक्सन और किशिंगर का फ़ोन वार्तालाप जिसमें… pic.twitter.com/kIUdQxCsmd— Dr Nishikant Dubey (@nishikant_dubey) July 1, 2025
He listed four specific points:
1) Nixon-Kissinger Conversation: A declassified phone conversation between US President Richard Nixon and his Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, where they discussed a proposed $300 million aid package to India and how India should be allowed to come back slowly into better relations with the US after the 1971 Bangladesh war.
2) 1979 Rajya Sabha Debate: A statement made by then Home Minister H.M. Patel on May 10, 1979, in the Rajya Sabha, acknowledging that former US Ambassador to India, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, had written in his book A Dangerous Place that the US gave money to the Congress Party twice—once to defeat the Communist Party in Kerala, and another time to support its Lok Sabha election campaign. According to Moynihan, the money was handed directly to the party official Indira Gandhi.
3) RAW Agent Ravindra Singh’s Escape: Dubey questioned why the Congress-led UPA government allegedly failed to bring back RAW officer Ravindra Singh, who fled to the US in 2004 and was reportedly a double agent working with the CIA. He asked, “Why was there no attempt between 2005 and 2014 to extradite him?”
4) Foreign Money and FERA Violations: He drew a parallel between past foreign political funding and current anti-money laundering laws, implying that such transactions would today be covered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), then governed by the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA).
Excerpts from the Rajya Sabha debate
The debate in the Rajya Sabha on May 10, 1979, reveals that the Indian government at the time admitted to being aware of Moynihan’s claim, but lacked evidence to investigate further. Home Minister H.M. Patel had said:
“The government has no information regarding this matter. We took it up with the U.S. Embassy in Delhi and the State Department in Washington. Both said they had no comments to offer. Still, the presumption is that Mr. Moynihan would not have gone on record unless there was some element of truth to it.”
He added that the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 1976 strictly prohibited foreign funding to political parties and that future steps would be taken to plug legal loopholes.
Indira Gandhi’s letter to Nixon resurfaces
Dubey also posted a letter dated November 28, 1972, written by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to US President Richard Nixon, in which she expressed hope for rebuilding peace and bilateral friendship. In the letter, Gandhi wrote:
“Friendship between our two countries, based on an understanding of each other’s experience and aspirations, will make a distinct contribution towards the larger vision of a generation of peace.”
Dubey called the letter an “attempt to warm up ties with the same US government she had accused of siding with Pakistan.”
Declassified US documents reveal Nixon-Kissinger strategy
Further adding weight to his accusations, Dubey shared excerpts from declassified White House conversations between Nixon and Kissinger (declassified on June 9, 2005), in which the two leaders discussed how India might slowly return to better relations with the US after the Bangladesh crisis. Nixon cautioned against rushing the process:
“Let them work their way back slowly… Don’t do a damn thing now… Let’s just get Keating back [from India], that’s a conciliatory move.”
They discussed India’s vulnerability to Soviet influence and how Congress may have sought to balance both superpowers by accepting aid from both sides.
Dubey’s final question: “Can the Nation Trust Congress?”
Citing these historical records, Dubey questioned the credibility of Congress and whether it could be trusted in today’s geopolitical environment:
“The Soviet Union gave money to leaders, journalists, bureaucrats, and businessmen. The US did the same. Can this country trust a party that allegedly accepted foreign funds to fight elections?”
As of publication, the Indian National Congress has not issued any official response to Dubey’s allegations.
However, this isn’t the first time historical foreign policy decisions have been dragged into present-day political battles.
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