Who Got The USAID Money As BJP And Congress Clash Over Funding Report?

A political firestorm has erupted between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress over a report claiming that the United States’ alleged $21 million funding “for voter turnout” was meant for Bangladesh and not India. The controversy follows the cancellation of the USAID grant to India by the new US administration, with former President Donald Trump suggesting that the funds could have been used to influence the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Newspaper Investigation at the Center of the Dispute

The BJP, which has aggressively targeted the Congress following Trump’s assertion, has dismissed the report as false. Meanwhile, the Congress has seized the opportunity to criticize the BJP for allegedly jumping to conclusions without verifying facts.

At the heart of the controversy is an investigation by The Indian Express, which claimed that USAID has not allocated any grants for election-related projects in India since 2008. The report clarified that the only USAID grant worth $21 million for voter participation was sanctioned in 2022 for Bangladesh under the project “Amar Vote Amar” (My Vote is Mine).

Congress Accuses BJP of Spreading Misinformation on USAID Funding

Citing the Indian Express report, Congress leader Pawan Khera launched a scathing attack on the BJP, accusing it of spreading misinformation and branding it “anti-national.”

“Isn’t it anti-national of the BJP to immediately start pointing fingers at the opposition parties without first verifying facts? The BJP itself has been in opposition for the longest period and has, from time to time, taken direct and unethical help from external forces to destabilize Congress governments,” Khera tweeted.

Jairam Ramesh on USAID Controversy

He further argued that if the grant had indeed been allocated to India, it would be an indictment of the BJP’s own governance. “Where are Ajit Doval, IB, and RAW? If $21 million could enter your country, then this is a slap in their (BJP’s) face. Later, they changed their statement and said that the money came in 2012. Did they win the 2014 election with that money?” he questioned.

Congress communications head Jairam Ramesh echoed Khera’s sentiments, stating that the report had exposed the BJP’s “falsehoods” and demanded an apology from the ruling party. The Congress has also called for a White Paper detailing USAID’s financial support to Indian institutions over the years.

BJP Challenges Report, Raises Questions on Foreign Influence

The BJP, however, has pushed back against the Indian Express investigation, arguing that it misrepresented the reference to the $21 million funding tranche purportedly meant “to promote voter turnout in India.”

Amit Malviya, head of the BJP IT Cell, pointed to a 2012 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Election Commission of India, under then-Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi, and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES). According to Malviya, IFES has ties to the Open Society Foundation, led by American billionaire George Soros, which is largely funded by USAID.

“Their report conveniently ignores subsequent funding, beginning in 2014, under various categories aimed at interfering in India’s election process,” Malviya tweeted.

Report Suggests Political Fallout May Have Been Premature

Despite the heated exchanges, the Indian Express report suggests that all parties may have jumped the gun. According to records accessed by the publication, the $21 million in question was indeed sanctioned in 2022 for Bangladesh, not India. Of this, $13.4 million has already been disbursed, ostensibly for “political and civic engagement” among Bangladeshi students ahead of the January 2024 elections.

These projects, the report notes, have raised concerns about the integrity of Bangladesh’s electoral process, coming just months before the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Also Read: ‘A Kickback Scheme, Why Are We Caring About India Turnout’: What Trump Said About $21 Million USAID Fund For Voter Turnout In India