New Delhi, Feb 18 A verbal duel broke out between the BJP and Congress on Tuesday over claims of former Union Minister Smriti Irani’s alleged links with USAID, one of the world’s largest US-based aids agencies, currently under fire for ‘destabilising’ democratically-elected governments in foreign nations.
The face-off began as Priyank Kharge, Karnataka minister and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge’s son slammed the BJP leader over promoting 'USAID projects' in the country and jabbed the ruling party with "real agents of George Soros" charge.
Kharge said that BJP's Smriti Irani had served as the USAID Goodwill Ambassador to India and also shared an official document to call out the ruling party's ‘double standards’ on demonising the US billionaire for political gains.
This drew a quick and sharp rejoinder from the BJP. In a detailed response, the BJP's IT cell chief Amit Malviya said that the programme met with astounding success in 2002 to 2005 and was also documented in an IIM-Indore report, but the Congress party helmed by "men of no accomplishments" was using it to "demean and defame" it.
Amit Malviya pointed out that Smriti Irani was chosen by WHO as the Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) Goodwill Brand Ambassador from 2002 to 2005 on the back of the immense popularity of the television serial ‘Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi’ featuring her, when the Congress-led UPA was in power.
Taking to X, Malviya further highlighted, “The WHO campaign featuring Smriti Irani was endorsed by the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), among others, which permitted promotional material to be displayed on its buses.”
He further asked the grand old party to stop 'obsessing' over Smriti Irani, saying, “This is what happens when men of no accomplishments find themselves in positions of presumed relevance within inconsequential organisations.”
“The fact that she defeated Rahul Gandhi at the hustings will remain a permanent nightmare in their memory,” he further said in a searing jibe at the grand old party.
Notably, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), one of the biggest US government-funded agencies is already under scrutiny over interference in foreign nations and got censured by the Trump administration. The US President has also ordered a total-freeze on all its foreign aid.
Reports suggest that USAID gave more than $270 million to organisations funded by George Soros. His Open Society Foundations has been accused of using USAID funds to interfere in political landscapes of other countries and also going to the extent of influencing electoral outcomes.
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