New Delhi: The BJP on Friday sharpened its attack on the Congress on the USAID funding issue and called Rahul Gandhi a “traitor”, accusing him of colluding with foreign forces in his bid to weaken India as it dismissed as “cover up” media reports that claimed USD 21 million was sanctioned in 2022 for Bangladesh, not India.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters, party national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia claimed the USAID funding came to India to meddle with internal politics and disrupt electoral politics in India.
“More than USD 2000 million funding came to the government in India from 2004-13 during the erstwhile Congress led UPA rule. And, just USD 1.5 million came during Modi ji’s term. It’s because they know that Narendra Modi will not sell India and India’s interests to any foreign power,” he said.
A larger share of the USAID fund came into India during the UPA regime because the Congress can broker the country’s sovereignty and its interests, Bhatia alleged.
“While funding for the government (in India) stopped, there was an increase in funding for the NGOs during Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra to strengthen Rahul Gandhi ahead of the polls in an attempt to defeat Narendra Modi (in the Lok Sabha elections),” he claimed.
Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra was aimed at “breaking India”, he charged.
Calling Gandhi a “traitor”, Bhatia alleged that the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha and his Congress party are engaged in “betraying the Constitution, country and its people”, just because they cannot tolerate the “strong leadership” of Prime Minister Modi and stability in the country during his term.
He dismissed as “cover up” media reports which claimed that the USAID fund of USD 21 million was sanctioned for “voter turnout” in Bangladesh, not in India.
“After Donald Trump’s statement came, some newspapers started covering up this matter,” he alleged.
“When the US President himself has made a statement (on the USAID funding to India), nobody else could have a better knowledge about it than him,” Bhatia contended.
He also cited US department of government efficiency’s (DOEG) post on X that mentioned funding of USD 21 million for voter turnout in India, and alleged that “Gandhi family sycophants”, however, are spreading confusion by making misleading claims.
“Since Rahul Gandhi does not have guts to answer the questions which proves that he is a traitor, so called fact checkers who have links with the Gandhi family are playing leading role since morning in telling that India had nothing to do with the USAID funding of USD 21 million,” he added.
