Japan K Pathak, Ahmedabad: Veteran political journalist Vijay Sanghvi who had been on the “Congress beat” for more than four decades in Delhi, in 2006 came with a book ‘Congress – Indira to Sonia Gandhi’. In this book, Sanghvi mentioned an interesting reference to Indira Gandhi led Congress party’s worries regarding parking of cash fund of her party and Morarji Desai’s demonetisation move. The excerpt of Sanghvi’s book is presented below:

……Rumours were floating in the capital that the Janata government would move against her(Indira Gandhi) and set up inquiries in the excesses committed by her government. She expected that to happen for she had known the personal hatred some of the Janata party men had for her. She was more afraid of some thing worse happening to her son Sanjay Gandhi to who had earned enough notoriety by his cruel and hot-tempered actions for implementing some of his pet ideas during the emergency period.

Her immediate concern was saving the huge election fund that had remained unspent. VB Raju, then general secretary had summoned the manager of the Andhra Bank, New Delhi Branch requesting him to keep the cash with the bank but without entering into the bank records. The manager expressed his inability to do so. Ultimately the huge cash was deposited at the residence of the MP from Andhra who was also a Minister of State in the Indira Gandhi Council of Ministers. He was told to join the Janata Party same evening. It was to protect cash that she had rushed her junior to join the Janata Party. His rush to immediately defect even before the Morarji Desai government was in saddle had surprised many because they remember he was considered to be very loyal to Indira Gandhi. Or there was no mystery for Morarji Desai and his advisers. For they demonetised the thousand rupee notes without attributing the convincing reason for the step. What was the loss of the Congress party in terms of funds due to the demonetised currency would remain shrouded in the clouds of mystery. Obviously no one can expect those who were in charge of keeping funds to come forward to lament on their loss……….

DeshGujarat