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New Delhi, Mar 18: A day after WikiLeaks disclosure indicated that the Congress had paid lawmakers to survive a vote of confidence in Parliament in 2008, another Wikileaks exposure reveals Washington's interference in Indian political decisions.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is said to have questioned Pranab Mukherjee's appointment as Finance Minister and also asked its Embassy in Delhi why Mukherjee was preferred to Montek Singh Ahluwalia.
In a cable to the US Embassy in Delhi in September 2009, Clinton asked, "To which business groups is Mukherjee beholden?'; Why was (he) chosen over Montek?"
It further adds: "To which industrial or business groups is Pranab Mukherjee beholden? Whom will he seek to help through his policies? What are Mukherjee's priorities in the upcoming budget... ?"
These questions appear to indicate that the White House was expecting either P Chidambaram to return as Finance Minister or Montek Singh Ahluwalia to be elevated to that post.
The September 14, 2009 cable asks: "What are Mukherjee's primary economic concerns and his views on Prime Minister Singh's economic reform Agenda? How quickly does he plan to pursue these reforms? What is his ability to enact reforms?"
Clinton was interested in knowing about how much importance does Mukherjee attach to the US-India bilateral economic relationship and where does he see the relationship heading.
: Indian H1-B and L1 visa holders contribute significantly to the US economy, and it is important that the two countries resolve all outstanding issues in this regard for even better trade relations.
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