'$21m USAID fund to India': Trump’s ‘kickback scheme’ remark fuels fresh BJP-Congress face-off

NEW DELHI: A fresh war of words has erupted between the Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress over US President Donald Trump’s claim that USAID provided "$21 million for voter turnout in India."
The fresh row started over USAID funds to India after Trump once again on Friday questioned the funding, terming it a “kickback scheme” and said, “Why are we caring about India turnout? We got enough problems.”
Linking Trump’s comments to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s 2023 remarks in London about global concerns over Indian democracy, the BJP alleged that NGOs connected to Congress were using foreign funds to influence the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
During a press conference, BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia questioned, "India is an independent sovereign nation. Why should any foreign entity interfere in our internal matters?" He accused Rahul Gandhi of seeking foreign support to remove Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the post, saying, "They cannot defeat Modi ji through their own efforts, so they seek support from foreign forces. In their hatred for Modi ji, they have started hating India itself."

Bhatia also claimed that Congress was trying to destabilise Indian democracy. "They are not only after PM Modi but want to destroy the democracy of our country because India today, under the leadership of PM Modi, has become a global leader, and they cannot digest it," he added.
On the other hand, Congress leader

Pawan Khera

defended his party and hit back at the BJP, accusing it of being selective in its criticism. He pointed out that BJP leaders, including Smriti Irani, were linked to USAID in the past. "When Smriti Irani was the brand ambassador of USAID and used to protest on the roads, was USAID behind those protests?" Khera asked.
Khera also accused the BJP of hypocrisy, recalling protests led by activist Anna Hazare, which contributed to Congress losing power. "Anna Hazare launched a protest, after which our government lost the elections, and then he went to America and held roadshows there. Everyone knows that he used to receive money from the Ford Foundation, and RSS was also involved in it," he said. The Congress leader was referring to Anna Hazare's two-week visit to the United States in 2013. The anti-corruption crusader had led the India Independence Day parade in New York and also met top US senators and Congressmen.
Kharge further targeted PM Modi, saying, "PM Modi went to the US uninvited and kept smiling even when Trump threatened to impose reciprocal tariffs and end Brics. And now, they accuse us of taking money from USAID to destabilise them."
The BJP countered by claiming that the $21 million was used to "sustain deep-state assets who work to defend and deflect such revelations."
Earlier, Trump doubled down on his claim that $21 million was spent on ‘voter turnout’ in India, suggesting that the money was meant to influence the 2024 election results. He called it a "kickback scheme" but did not specify who benefitted from it.
The BJP quickly picked up on Trump’s remarks, alleging that the funds were used to support hidden agendas in India.