At the backdrop of BJP and Congress engaged in a fierce battle of words over certain revelations about USAID funding for certain activities in the country, the Ministry of External Affairs on Friday said they are “deeply troubling” and have led to concerns about foreign interference in its internal affairs.
BJP sharpened its attack on the Congress on the USAID funding issue and called Rahul Gandhi a “traitor”, accusing him of colluding with foreign forces in his bid to weaken India as it dismissed as “cover up” media reports that claimed USD 21 million was sanctioned in 2022 for Bangladesh, not India.
Congress on their part, following reports that an amount of USD 21 million approved by the USAID was meant for Bangladesh and not India, the party demanded an apology from the BJP alleging that the ruling party’s narrative was aimed at diverting attention from its own use of foreign funds to destabilise past governments led by the grand old party. Congress also reiterated its demand from the government for a white paper on the USAID funding as well as funding by other such agencies in India.
Since the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) announced on February 16 that it had “cancelled”, among a string of projects, the USAID funding of “USD 21 million for voter turnout in India”, the ruling BJP has accused the Congress of using external influence in India’s election process.
In a speech in Miami on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump said: “Why do we need to spend USD 21 million for voter turnout in India? Wow, USD 21 million! I guess they were trying to get somebody else elected.”
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar too voiced concern over the alleged USAID funding for raising voter turnout in India, saying people who allowed such an attack on the country’s democratic values should be exposed. He also said that it was the “national duty” of people to strike at such forces.
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said relevant departments and authorities are looking into the information put out by the United States administration regarding certain US activities and funding. “We have seen information that has been put out by the US administration regarding certain US activities and funding. These are obviously very deeply troubling,” Jaiswal said.
“This has led to concerns about foreign interference in India’s internal affairs. Relevant departments and agencies are looking into this matter. It would be premature to make a public comment at this stage, so relevant authorities are looking into it and hopefully, we can come up with an update on that subsequently,” Jaiswal said.
Addressing a Press conference at the BJP headquarters, party national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia claimed the USAID funding came to India to meddle with internal politics and disrupt electoral process in India.
“More than USD 2000 million funding came to the government in India from 2004-13 during the erstwhile Congress led UPA rule. And, just USD 1.5 million came during Modi ji’s term. It’s because they know that Narendra Modi will not sell India and India’s interests to any foreign power,” he said.
A larger share of the USAID fund came into India during the UPA regime because the Congress can broker the country’s sovereignty and its interests, Bhatia alleged.
“While funding for the government (in India) stopped, there was an increase in funding for the NGOs during Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra to strengthen Rahul Gandhi ahead of the polls in an attempt to defeat Narendra Modi (in the Lok Sabha elections),” he claimed.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, “Lies first mouthed in Washington. Lies then amplified by BJP’s Jhoot Sena. Lies made to be debated on Godi media.” “Lies now thoroughly exposed. Will the liars apologise?” he asked in a social media post.
Addressing a press conference Congress’s media and publicity department head Pawan Khera alleged that the entire “USD-21 million USAID funds narrative” perpetrated by the BJP, Modi government’s ministers, its economic advisor, the party’s IT department head, the RSS-BJP ecosystem and a section of the “BJP-friendly media” was done to divert attention from their “own sins” of using foreign funds to destabilise Congress governments of the past.
Congress leader said former prime minister Indira Gandhi was right when she pointed out towards the “foreign hand” of the BJP’s ideological forefathers and the erstwhile Janata Party.
“It is no secret that the RSS took the CIA’s assistance during Emergency and in the run-up to it. P N Dhar’s book, ‘Indira Gandhi, the ‘Emergency’, and Indian Democracy’, clearly chronicles how ‘the US showered praise on J P (Jayaprakash Narayan) and his role in fighting the Indira Gandhi government in 1974’. The Nixon administration wanted to punish her for her defiance to the US in 1971 and conducting India’s first nuclear test later,” he claimed.
Khera further alleged that the RSS orchestrated the Anna Hazare-Arvind Kejriwal “India Against Corruption” movement to overthrow the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government with the help of foreign aid, especially from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Ford Foundation.
