New Delhi: The US President Donald Trump’s statement that the United States Agency for International Aid (USAID) has provided $21 million to manipulate voter turnout in India during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls has ignited a political war in the country.
The USAID grant to India has been cancelled by the new US administration. But it has rocked the political corridors. Opposition led by Congress alleged that the fund was used by BJP to defend opposition parties. The Congress has demanded a White Paper on the USAID funds to India and dubbed Trump’s claims as “nonsensical”.
BJP accuses that USAID channeled $21 million into India during the 2014 general elections through the Consortium for Elections and Politicial Process (CEPPS). At that time, Congress led UPA was in power in India. BJP accuses that this was a broader strategy to influence Indian political situation.
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The BJP lashed out at the Congress, accusing it of seeking foreign funds to stop Prime Minister Narendra Modi from coming to power in 2014. BJP sources said during the rule of the erstwhile Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA), the government received $204.28 million, while the NGOs received $2114.96 million. This inflow slowed down to a trickle once the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) came to power. The government funding dropped to $1 million from 2014 to 2015, though the funding of non-profits increased to $2579.73 million.
Critics claim that Congress has a long history of cooperating with international agencies to undermine India’s stability. Congress has earlier aligned with Asia Foundation and Freedom House. Both these agencies have supported Pakistan’s stand on jammu and Kashmir. Congress also use reports from the organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) to defame Indian government.
Since its creation, George Soros’s OCCRP, which produced anti-government reports that were used by the Congress to target the NDA government, received $47 million.
‘After the Modi Government came to power, funding to the NGOs and other avenues in India increased significantly, showcasing how the focus has shifted from USAID being directly involved in governmental matters to funding anti-India/anti-national forums in India,’ BJP sources claimed.
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