New Delhi: Following US President Donald Trump’s admission to attempts by former US governments to influence elections in India, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday took potshots at Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, claiming that he acted as a “tool for foreign agencies” and aligned with global networks to undermine the country’s interests.
The BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya shared a series of old videos on X, including that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking to corroborate the ‘revelations’ by the new American President on the previous US administration’s role in infringing democracies across the world.
President Trump in a speech in Miami on Thursday questioned USAID (United States Agency for International Development) funding of $21 million for increasing ‘voter turnout’ in India, under the Biden administration, asking “was it done to elect other government?”
The US President’s remarks created a furore in political circles and elicited quick rejoinders.
Amit Malviya was quick to latch on to Trump’s admission on US government’s attempts to influence the elections in India and shared a series of PM Modi’s statements where he warned of foreign conspiracies to meddle in the country’s electoral process, not once but multiple times during the 2024 poll campaign.
He also shared a video of the Congress MP’s 2023 interaction with the Indian Journalists’ Association in London and wrote, “In March 2023, ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Rahul Gandhi was in London, urging foreign powers — from the US to Europe — to intervene in India’s internal affairs.”
“He aligned himself with global networks seeking to undermine India’s strategic and geopolitical interests, acting as a tool for foreign agencies,” he claimed.
The comments that kicked up a row over alleged US interference in the Indian democratic process stemmed from Trump’s condemnation of the Biden administration over funds allocation under the USAID.
“Why do we need to spend $21 million on voter turnout in India? I guess they were trying to get somebody else elected. We have got to tell the Indian Government… This is a total breakthrough,” Trump said, addressing the FII PRIORITY Summit in Miami on Thursday.
(IANS)
