New Delhi: Congress on Friday hit back at the government after US President Donald Trump said that USAID worth $21 million was given to India for voter turnout and it aimed to bring different party to power saying the entire narrative has been planned to divert attention from their own sins of using foreign funds to destabilize grand old party governments in India, including the UPA.
Congress also dared the BJP-led government at the Centre to bring rhe white paper on the same.
Addressing a press conference at the old party headquarters here, Congress leader Pawan Khera said, “The entire ‘$21 million USAID funds narrative’ has been perpetrated by the BJP, Modi government’s ministers, its economic advisor, IT Cell head, the RSS-BJP ecosystem and a section of the BJP friendly media was planned to divert attention from their own sins of using foreign funds to destabilize Congress governments in India, including the UPA.”
Khera, who is also the Chairman of the media and publicity department said that thanks to some investigative journalism as the truth has come out that the ‘$21 million USAID funds’ were not given to India, but to Bangladesh.
He said that official documents prove that. Modi’s best friend Trump had perhaps intentionally or unintentionally made a faux pas through the DOGE.
“But the fact that the RSS-BJP ecosystem shamelessly latched on it, without examining the facts, tells you that they wanted to hide their own acts of commissions in damaging India’s democracy,” the Congress leader said.
He also said that Indira Gandhi was right when she pointed out to the ‘Foreign Hand’ by BJP’s ideological forefathers and the Janata Party.
“It is no secret that RSS took CIA’s assistance during emergency and in the run up to it. PN Dhar’s book ‘Indira Gandhi, the “Emergency”, and Indian Democracy’ clearly chronicles how “The US showered praise on Jai Prakash and his role in fighting the Indira Gandhi Government in 1974. The Nixon administration wanted to punish her defiance to the US in 1971 and for conducting India’s first nuclear test later,” Khera asserted.
The Congress leader did not stop here as he alleged that BJP-RSS, Jan Sangh and Lok Dal leaders were extensively using foreign press to interfere in India’s internal affairs.
Citing examples, he said that, the Economist wrote that “specifically that two of the top four leaders that were running the underground movement from RSS and Jana Sangh.
“They were –Dattopant Thengadi, a senior RSS Pracharak and Dr Subramaniam Swamy from Bharatiya Jana Sangh,” he said, adding that it is public knowledge how the CIA was used by Anti-India forces in the 1960’s and 1970’s as an attempt to weaken our nation.
Targeting the BJP, he said, “The RSS-BJP have an abhorrent record of interfering in India’s electoral process, meddling in our democracy and attempting to defile our Constitution. Numerous past and recent examples clearly allude to the same.”
He also said that the CIA had provided “large sums of money” for RSS’s anti-cow slaughter rally held in 1966. He also alleged that there was an attempt to assassinate then Congress President K. Kamaraj.
“We are not saying, an American spy, John D. Smith revealed that the CIA used RSS as puppets to overthrow the Congress government of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru,” Khera alleged.
Firing salvos at thebgovernment, he said, “Is it not a fact that RSS orchestrated the Anna Hazare- Arvind Kejriwal IAC movement to overthrow the Congress-UPA government with the help of foreign aid, especially from USAID, funding from Ford Foundation? Is it not true that Kejriwal himself had accepted this? Why did Anna Hazare get a rousing reception in New York after successfully completing the task assigned by the RSS? Why were US senators and Congressmen so pleased to see Anna Hazare?”
He said that Smriti Irani herself stated that she has served as the USAID “Goodwill Ambassador” to India for 4 years and even Modi government’s Ministers constantly interacted with USAID officials and signed MoUs with USAID for various government schemes and projects.
Khera also asked, if is it not true that two years ago, on March 21, 2023, PM Modi met the former USAID administrator and the present President of Rockefeller Foundation, Rajiv Shah.
“During PM Modi’s first visit to the US, the then American President hosted a dinner. Rajiv Shah served as the administrator of USAID at that time and was also one of the special invitees for the dinner. Why did PM Modi meet USAID Administrators if the BJP now discredits USAID?” Khera questioned.
He also asked that why Modi government requested the US administration “multiple times” to get COVID-19 aid worth more than $100 million in 2021.
He also asked why Modi was, when he was not even the Gujarat CM, and an ordinary RSS worker, in 1993, visiting the United States and holding meetings with the American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACPYL) which was practically funded by the USAID.
Khera said that the Congress has already demanded a white paper on the USAID funding in India.
“Let it be clear, we do not consider global partnerships, developmental agencies, aid mechanisms such as USAID as unscrupulous. It is the BJP who first started the deep state narrative and started to demonise USAID. However, we have enough evidence that RSS-BJP has been taking covert assistance from foreign agencies to destablise Indian democracy and bulldoze our Constitution,” Khera added.
Earlier in the day, Congress general secretary Communication incharge Jairam Ramesh also jibed the government and said their lies have been exposed and will they apologise now.
In a post on X, he 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?”
The uproar erupted after Trump said, “$21 million for voter turnout in India. Why are we caring about India turnout? We got enough problems… it’s a kickback scheme, you know.”
Trump made remarks at a Republican Governors’ conference, a day after he said that USD 21 million for voter turnout in India.
“Why do we need to spend USD 21 million for voter turnout in India? I guess they (the Biden administration) were trying to get somebody else elected. We have got to tell the Indian government… This is a total breakthrough,” he said.