It describes how an aide to senior Congress leader Satish Sharma showed a US embassy official "chests of cash" to pay off MPs ahead of a vote over a controversial nuclear deal with the US. The government survived the vote despite substantial opposition. Mr Sharma denies the allegation, saying he never had a political aide.
At the time of the nuclear deal the government's left-wing allies withdrew their support to protest against the controversial accord.
'Uproar'
If the government had lost the vote, India could have faced early elections. A defeat would have also put the nuclear deal in doubt. The Indian government's win in the vote by 275 votes to 256 came amid accusations of vote-buying. Opposition MPs waved wads of money in parliament alleging they were offered bribes to abstain.
The leaks reported in The Hindu newspaper have caused uproar in parliament with the main opposition parties saying that it had "brought shame to the nation." The allegation comes just as the government has been hit by a series of scandals over the sale of 2G telecoms licences and the appointment of an anti-corruption commissioner, who faced corruption charges himself.
The cable by US official Steven White said that the embassy employee had met Nachiketa Kapur, an aide of Congress leader Satish Sharma. Nachiketa Kapur denies the report: "I vehemently deny these malicious allegations. There was no cash to point out to," he said. Satish Sharma also refuted the charge and told a news channel that he did not even have an aide called Nachiketa Kapur.
"I never had and still don't have a political aide," he said. Mr Sharma is described as a "close associate of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi [and] considered to be a very close family friend of [Congress party chief] Sonia Gandhi". The cable says that Mr Kapur told the embassy employee that "money was not an issue at all, but the crucial thing was to ensure that those who took the money would vote for the government".
The cable said that that the embassy employee was shown "two chests containing cash and said that around $25m (£15.5m) was lying around the house for use as pay-offs". The cable said that the "aide" also claimed that MPs belonging to a regional party Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) had been paid 100 million rupees ($2.5m; £1.5m) each to ensure they voted for the "right way". RLD leader Ajit Singh has denied the charge and said that he was "opposed to the nuclear deal" and his party MPs "voted against the government".
At the time of the nuclear deal the government's left-wing allies withdrew their support to protest against the controversial accord.
'Uproar'
If the government had lost the vote, India could have faced early elections. A defeat would have also put the nuclear deal in doubt. The Indian government's win in the vote by 275 votes to 256 came amid accusations of vote-buying. Opposition MPs waved wads of money in parliament alleging they were offered bribes to abstain.
The leaks reported in The Hindu newspaper have caused uproar in parliament with the main opposition parties saying that it had "brought shame to the nation." The allegation comes just as the government has been hit by a series of scandals over the sale of 2G telecoms licences and the appointment of an anti-corruption commissioner, who faced corruption charges himself.
The cable by US official Steven White said that the embassy employee had met Nachiketa Kapur, an aide of Congress leader Satish Sharma. Nachiketa Kapur denies the report: "I vehemently deny these malicious allegations. There was no cash to point out to," he said. Satish Sharma also refuted the charge and told a news channel that he did not even have an aide called Nachiketa Kapur.
"I never had and still don't have a political aide," he said. Mr Sharma is described as a "close associate of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi [and] considered to be a very close family friend of [Congress party chief] Sonia Gandhi". The cable says that Mr Kapur told the embassy employee that "money was not an issue at all, but the crucial thing was to ensure that those who took the money would vote for the government".
The cable said that that the embassy employee was shown "two chests containing cash and said that around $25m (£15.5m) was lying around the house for use as pay-offs". The cable said that the "aide" also claimed that MPs belonging to a regional party Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) had been paid 100 million rupees ($2.5m; £1.5m) each to ensure they voted for the "right way". RLD leader Ajit Singh has denied the charge and said that he was "opposed to the nuclear deal" and his party MPs "voted against the government".
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