Synopsis
The BJP disputes a leading daily's fact-check regarding USAID funds, claiming the reported $21 million for India was actually intended for Bangladesh. Amit Malviya criticizes the media for downplaying foreign interference in elections and highlights past agreements with organizations linked to George Soros.Key Takeaways
- BJP disputes the claim that USAID funds were allocated to India.
- Amit Malviya accuses a leading daily of covering up foreign interference.
- The BJP references a 2012 agreement with a George Soros-linked organization.
- Claims of systematic infiltration of Indian institutions by foreign entities.
- Trump administration has announced the cancellation of USAID funding to foreign nations.
New Delhi, Feb 21 (NationPress) US President Donald Trump’s ‘revelations’ regarding the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funds, especially his mention of $21 million allocated to India for voter turnout, ignited a political uproar in the nation as the BJP and Congress exchanged heated remarks.
The ongoing controversy surrounding the US’ purported attempts to sway electoral results in India took a new turn on Friday when a prominent daily reported that the $21 million cited by Trump was not directed towards India but was instead earmarked for Bangladesh.
This report, which contradicts Trump’s acknowledgment of the Biden administration's efforts to influence foreign democracies and decision-making, drew sharp criticism from the BJP, which accused the publication of disseminating a misleading story regarding ‘2022 funding to Bangladesh’.
The BJP's IT cell chief, Amit Malviya, asserted that the prominent daily was engaged in a cover-up of foreign meddling through USAID-supported George Soros’ Open Society Foundations.
Disputing the newspaper’s fact-check, Amit Malviya stated that the Indian Express article distorts the reference to the $21 million funding allocation meant to ‘promote’ voter turnout in India.
“The Indian Express overlooks the 2012 Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Election Commission of India, led by S.Y. Quraishi, and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), an entity associated with George Soros’ Open Society Foundations, primarily funded by USAID,” Malviya expressed in a post on X.
He also claimed that the report neglects subsequent funding initiated in 2014 under various categories aimed at interfering in India’s electoral processes.
Furthermore, he noted that information about this funding was previously accessible through annual filings on the now-defunct website of the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS).
Malviya asserted that revelations about USAID are increasingly demonstrating that the Congress-led UPA systematically facilitated the infiltration of the country’s institutions by entities acting against national interests.
He remarked that a particular faction of ‘civil society’ was unsettled due to these dark secrets emerging and predicted that more attempts to discredit and divert attention from these revelations will occur in the coming days.
Importantly, the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) announced on February 16 its decision to ‘cancel’ the USAID funding to foreign nations. The US President has also shared his views on discontinuing the agency and its operations.
