NEW DELHI: The Home Ministry has cleared the Communist Party of India (CPI) of allegations that it received five lakh US dollars from the erstwhile Communist
Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) via the K.G.B network in 1990.The ministry which monitors and controls donations to all organizations and institutions from abroad under the Foreign Contributions Regulations Act FCRA) had quietly tooked into the issue following a series of “disclosures” in the media last month regarding secret funding of large amounts to the CPI.
Sources however were quick to point out that it was not an inquiry just a”*perusal” of their records of the foreign funds that ended up with the CPI.
The “perusal” also included a scrutiny of Intelligence Bureau (EB) files related to the same allegation when it originally came up in the Russian media in 1990.
Under the FCRA organizations have to seek the approval of the Home Ministry before receive donations from foreign agencies violations are subject to criminal prosecution Furthermore money was received without the clearance the CPI would have to face investigation by the Finance Ministry under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act. While nothing was found in official records to suggest that the CPI received money from abroad the ministry added that it had no information on allegations about the C.P.I.
The Ministry’s files indicate that the IB heaven tried to determine back in 1990 whether any funds had come in through front organization such as the Peoples Pubbing House Nothing had come of that secret inquiry. When the I legations surfaced in India during the third week of March there was a hue and crying Parliament the BIP demanded the Government inquire into the funds.. Mr. Advani had said that the government should come forward with full information before Parliament on the specific allegation
CPI General Secretary Inderjit Gupta had addressed his party’s readiness to any government probe but added that the government would also have to look into other allegations made over the years against all other political parties and Institutions.
While the Prime Ministry apparently opened files on the allegations of violation of the FCRA against the CPI it did not do so against any other party as demanded by Mr. Gupta.
Article extracted from this publication >> May 1, 1992
