USAID funding row: Congress accuses BJP of 'anti-national work'; saffron party calls Rahul Gandhi 'traitor'

The controversy is about two USAID grants on DOGE's list that were given through the Washington-based Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS), the Congress leader said.

New Delhi: Amid the USAID funding row, the Congress on Sunday accused the BJP of indulging in "anti-national work" by spreading "fake news from America" and asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will also have to answer as to why the government is silent when US President Donald Trump and Elon Musk are "insulting" India repeatedly.

The BJP has rejected all such allegations of the Congress and called Rahul Gandhi a "traitor", accusing him of colluding with foreign forces in his bid to weaken India.

Congress general secretary in-charge Jairam Ramesh said, "BJP is a procession of liars and illiterates. The news about $21 million, on which the BJP and their bootlickers were jumping on, turned out to be fake. The $21 million in 2022 was not for 'voter turnout' in India, but for Bangladesh." "Elon Musk made a fake claim, Trump got confused between Dhaka and Delhi, Amit Malviya spread the lie further, then the rest of BJP's bootlickers seized on it," he charged.

Ever since the Trump administration's DOGE said on February 16 that USAID has cancelled the $21 million funding for "voting in India", the BJP has been making fabricated allegations against the Congress, Ramesh said in his post in Hindi on X.

"But now it is coming to light that this entire news is fake. When the money has not even reached India, then what would be the cancellation?" he said.

The controversy is actually about two USAID grants on DOGE's list that were given through the Washington-based Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS), the Congress leader said.

The CEPPS was supposed to receive a total of $486 million from USAID, he said, adding that according to DOGE, the funds included $22 million for Moldova and $21 million for "voter turnout in India", he said.

"The first fund USAID gave to CEPPS for Moldova was in 2016 with the ID AID117LA1600001. But the USAID $21 million grant for India marked by DOGE is completely fake. Because it was for Bangladesh, not India," he claimed.

And the reality is that of the $21 million earmarked for Bangladesh, $13.4 million has already been disbursed before the January 2024 elections, Ramesh said.

"Every federal grant specifies the country in which it is to be used. According to US federal spending, there have been no USAID-funded CEPPS projects in India since 2008. The only ongoing $21 million USAID grant to CEPPS, ID 72038822LA00001, was approved in July 2022 for Bangladesh's 'Amar Vote Amar' (My Vote Is Mine)," he said.

"In November 2022, the purpose of the grant was changed to 'USAID's Nagorik Programme'. A USAID official in Dhaka also confirmed this on social media during his US visit in December 2024: 'I manage the $21 million CEPPS/Nagorik project funded by USAID'," Ramesh said.

"Now, the BJP should just answer this: Why did the BJP spread fake news about India's democracy? Why did the BJP did anti-national work by spreading fake news from America? If BJP's accusing India's opposition party over fake news from America is not treason, then what is it?" he said.

Ramesh said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will also have to answer, Donald Trump and Elon Musk are insulting India again and again, and why is our government silent on this?"

The Congress leader said, "Is it the case that the country's self-respect has been compromised in the process of begging for mercy for Adani?"

Trump for the fourth time in recent days has claimed that the Biden administration allocated $21 million funding to India for voter turnout , evoking a sharp response from the Congress which urged Prime Minister Modi to talk to his "friend" and strongly refute the allegation.

The opposition party has demanded a white paper on the funds received in India from developmental agencies, aid mechanisms and multilateral forums.

It also sought legal action against the RSS-BJP and their ecosystem for making wild allegations against credible civil society members, NGOs and political parties.

In Washington, speaking at a 'Governors Working Session,' Trump had said: "Twenty-one million dollars going to my friend Prime Minister Modi in India for voter turnout. We're giving 21 million for voter turnout in India. What about us? I want voter turnout too."

A video clipping from the event was posted on social media by the White House on Friday.

Trump also said that money went to strengthen the political landscape in Bangladesh to a firm that nobody ever heard of.

In New Delhi, reacting to Trump's remarks, the Congress on Saturday demanded 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, Congress' media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said on Saturday.

Hitting back at Khera, BJP leader Ajay Alok said the Congress people have probably "lost their mind".