Author: Our Correspondent
Publication: The Asian Age
Date: September 23, 2005
Supporting a late KGB official's claims contained
in a book published recently, Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy on
Thursday alleged that not only did two Indian political parties receive monies
from the agency but there were at least 343 Indians on its payroll.
In The Mitrokhin Archives Volume II, late
KGB archivist Vasili Mitrokhin claims the Congress, under late Prime Minister
Indira Gandhi, and the Communist Party of India used to receive money from
the KGB during the Cold War.
Citing a "Cold War project" that
is available in the United States Library of Congress, Dr Swamy told reporters
the US authorities examined, among other things, every KGB paper since 1930
and identified 343 Indians who were on that agency's payrolls.
"Work on that project was completed last
year and a book is likely to be released next year," he said.
Dr Swamy claimed that there was "prima
facie collaborative evidence from Indian sources" to not dismiss the
allegations contained in the book.
"Besides the disloyalty to the nation
implied, there is also the serious national security question of whether policies
were being altered at KGB's behest," he observed.
"Was Netaji in the USSR, and killed by
the KGB to alter Indian politics? Was Lal Bahadur Shastri killed in Tashkent
to enable a more pro-Soviet Indira Gandhi to power? Was [she] prevented by
KGB's blackmail from allowing the Indian Army to smash West Pakistan? [Did]
the KGB [induce] Operation Bluestar? Did the KGB finance LTTE ideologue Balasingham,
and hence is there as a KGB link in Rajiv Gandhi's assassination?" Dr
Swamy wanted to know.
"I demand a [probe by] a Supreme Court
judge be set up to unravel the truth," he added.
