The BJP has now accused the Congress of seeking foreign funds to prevent Narendra Modi from becoming Prime Minister in 2014. 

This comes a day after former US President Donald Trump criticised the Biden administration’s decision to allocate $21 million to India for “voter turnout,” suggesting it may have been an attempt to influence elections.

According to BJP sources, during the Congress-led UPA government, the Indian government received $204.28 million in USAID (United States Agency for International Development) funds, while NGOs received $2.1 billion. However, when the Modi-led NDA government took over, direct government funding dropped to just $1 million between 2014 and 2015, though NGO funding increased to $2.57 billion.

BJP argued that since Modi came to power, foreign funding has increasingly flowed to NGOs rather than the government, which they claim has shifted USAID’s influence toward supporting “anti-India or anti-national” platforms.

Adding to the $21 billion controversy Jairam Ramesh, General secretary In charge of Congress, took to his social media on X stating that “Claims being made by the US President are typically nonsensical to say the least. Even so, the Govt of India should bring out a White Paper at the earliest detailing USAID’s support to both governmental and non-governmental institutions in India over the decades.” 

With these comments he seeked for transparency of the transactions made by USAID and had refuted the US president’s comment of providing the $21 billion funds to India for voter turnout.

What was Trump’s Statement?

Speaking at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, Trump raised the question of why $21 million was given to India, a country with a lot more money. 

“Why are we giving $21 million to India? They got a lot more money. They are one of the highest taxing countries in the world in terms of us; we can hardly get in there because their tariffs are so high. I have a lot of respect for India and their Prime Minister, but giving $21 million for voter turnout? In India? What about voter turnout here?” Trump remarked.

The controversy erupted after the DOGE, led by Elon Musk, announced the cancellation of the $21 million grant on February 16. In a post shared on X, DOGE outlined several foreign assistance programmes that had been deemed unnecessary or excessive, with the India voter turnout project topping the list.

(With inputs from Syndicated feed)