New Delhi: US President Donald Trump took Prime Minister Narendra Modi's name for the first time while reiterating that India was given $21 million for 'voter turnout' amid a raging political slugfest over the issue back home with the Congress demanding a white paper on the funds that political parties, individuals, NGOs, organisations received from developmental agencies, aid mechanisms and multilateral forums.
"$21 million going to my friend Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India for voter turnout. We are giving $21 million for voter turnout in India. What about us? I want voter turnout too," Trump said in his characteristic manner at the Governor's working session. The statement of the US President gave some fresh ammo to the Congress to attack the BJP. Pawan Khera, the Chairman, Media & Publicity (Communications Dept) of AICC said the Modi Government, its ministers, its economic advisor, BJP’s IT Cell head, its eco-system and one-fourth media which cheers for the BJP are desperately tying themselves in knots to somehow prove their allegation of ‘Deep State’ and ‘Foreign Intervention’ with regards to ‘$21 million USAID funds narrative’. He said, "Indian news media outlets have fact checked the claim by BJP and Modi Government's minister as untrue. The funds went to Bangladesh not India, although India received USAID funds, but not for increasing voter turnout".
Khera said a credible American Newspaper, Washington Post has come up with a fact check and 'found no evidence that $21 million was due to be spent for voter turnout in India or for any other purpose”, even as the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson called this 'very deeply troubling; and announced that relevant departments and agencies are looking into the matter. He said RSS-BJP and its ilk are habitual offenders in two aspects- crafting fake narratives and propagating lies. "Seeking external assistance to destabilise the Indian state, our democracy and our Constitution. We already have given numerous examples on how RSS-BJP became pawns of foreign powers to unleash their anti-national agenda to discredit elected Congress Governments," he said.
File photo of Pawan Khera (ETV Bharat) Khera further said BJP spokespersons attacked a daily, its brave journalist who was simply doing his job by unearthing truth, separating facts from BJP propagated fiction. "If the BJP feels that Soros is behind the story, why does their top leadership give interviews to the newspaper, write columns in it? Why do they not investigate themselves where did the so-called $21 million of USAID funds go?," he asked.
Khera said there is no record of a Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS) programme matching DOGE’s description in India. "CEPPS did have a $21 million USAID contract — not for India, but for neighboring Bangladesh. If the money went to Bangladesh, how can the Modi Government be blissfully unaware of this funding in our neighbourhood?," he asked. "BJP’s claim that a 2012 agreement between ECI and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), one of three organizations that make up CEPPS, again is a white lie. IFES was contracted ECI to develop a curriculum on election management. The IFES course material has been used by India not for its own elections, but to train electoral officials from around the world. On its website, the Election Commission boasts of having trained 69,362 election officials from 109 countries," he added. Khera asked, Why was the 2012 agreement with ECI updated in August 2020 under the Modi Govt? If the BJP feels that money had indeed come in 2012, how did we, the INC, end up with mere 44 seats in 2014 Lok Sabha elections?," he asked.
He said between 2001 and 2024, USAID has disbursed a total of $2.9 billion to India. "That’s an average of $119 million annually. $1.3 billion or 44.4 per cent of this money was granted during the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance regime (2014-2024). During the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance regime (2004-2013), India received $1.2 billion in grants, or 41.3 per cent" Khera said.
He said the Congress demands a comprehensive white paper on the funds that political parties, individuals, NGOs, organisations received from developmental agencies, aid mechanisms and multilateral forums. The white paper should not only focus on USAID funding, but all such agencies which fund both governments, individuals and all other entities under Indian law. This apart, Prime Minister Modi must talk to his friend, US President Trump and strongly refute the allegation on him that America was about to give $21 million to him and India for increasing voter turnout. RSS-BJP and all their ecosystem actors making wild allegations to bolster their fake narrative against credible civil society members, NGOs, political parties, must not only be named and shamed on public forums, but legal action must also be taken against them for spreading lies and misleading the nation, Khera said.
On Friday, the BJP had alleged that the money which the US President claims was sent to India, was used to sustain 'deep state assets' in the country and demanded a probe into the matter. BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari had called for a probe to find if Rahul Gandhi and Congress party were the "beneficiaries" of the alleged kickbacks.
