New Delhi, Feb 22 The Congress party has intensified its attack on the BJP and US President Donald Trump, accusing both of brazenly lying about USAID funding to India. The party has demanded the release of a comprehensive white paper detailing all funds received by political parties, individuals, NGOs, and organisations from international developmental agencies, aid mechanisms, and multilateral forums.
The Congress emphasised that this white paper should not be limited to USAID funding alone but should encompass financial assistance from all foreign entities operating within the framework of Indian law.
In a sharp critique aimed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress urged him to address allegations made by President Trump, who had claimed that the US was preparing to provide $21 million to India to increase voter turnout. The Congress party said PM Modi should confront Trump directly and refute the "baseless" claims made by the US President.
"The RSS-BJP and their entire ecosystem are making wild allegations to bolster their fabricated narrative against credible civil society members, NGOs, and political parties. These actors must not only be named and shamed in public forums but also face legal action for spreading falsehoods and misleading the nation," said Pawan Khera, Chairman of Media & Publicity (Communications Department), AICC at a press conference here on Saturday.
A report published by a leading Indian daily on Friday clarified that the $21 million in question was not directed toward India but was instead allocated to Bangladesh.
The Congress questioned the Modi government's apparent ignorance of this development in a neighbouring country, asking, "If the funds were directed to Bangladesh, how can the Modi government remain unaware of such significant financial movements in the region? Does this not raise serious concerns about the government’s effectiveness in managing its neighbourhood policy?"
The party also dismissed the BJP’s claims regarding a 2012 agreement between the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) -- a member of the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS) -- as misleading.
"The IFES was engaged by the ECI to develop a curriculum on election management, not to influence elections in India," Khera stated. "The course material developed by IFES was used not for domestic elections but to train electoral officials from across the world. The Election Commission itself highlights on its website that it has trained 69,362 election officials from 109 countries under this initiative."
The Congress party's demand for transparency and accountability on USAID funding in India has added fuel to the ongoing political slugfest between Congress and the BJP.
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