Fri Feb 21 02:44:01 UTC 2025: ## BJP Accuses Congress of Seeking Foreign Funds to Undermine Modi in 2014 Election

**New Delhi, Feb 21, 2025** – The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a scathing attack on the Congress party today, alleging that the opposition party sought foreign funding to prevent Prime Minister Narendra Modi from winning the 2014 general election. This follows US President Donald Trump’s questioning of a $21 million USAID grant to India for voter turnout, prompting speculation about foreign interference in Indian elections.

The BJP claims that during the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government’s tenure, India received substantial funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), totaling $204.28 million in government funding and $2114.96 million for NGOs. This funding, the BJP alleges, drastically decreased after the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) came to power in 2014, dropping to $1 million in government funding, while NGO funding increased to $2579.73 million. The party further highlighted that George Soros’s Open Society Foundations (OSF), known for producing reports critical of the NDA government, received $47 million during this period. The BJP contends that this shift indicates a change in USAID’s focus from government support to funding anti-India groups.

The Congress, however, vehemently denied the allegations. Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh demanded a White Paper from the government detailing USAID’s funding to both governmental and non-governmental institutions in India over the years, dismissing President Trump’s comments as “nonsensical.” Ramesh’s call for transparency follows a recent list published by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), highlighting the allocation of $21 million towards voter turnout initiatives in India. President Trump publicly questioned this expenditure, suggesting it was an attempt to influence the election outcome. The Congress’s demand for a White Paper reflects its commitment to transparency and its rebuttal of the BJP’s accusations.

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