New Delhi, Feb 21 (PTI) A political row erupted Friday after a media report claimed USD 21 million aid by USAID was meant for Bangladesh and not India, with the Congress demanding an apology from the BJP and the ruling party accusing Rahul Gandhi of colluding with foreign forces to weaken India.

The Congress alleged that the BJP's narrative was aimed at diverting attention from its own use of foreign funds to "destabilise" past governments led by it. It also demanded the government come out with a white paper on the USAID funding as well as funding by other such agencies in India.

The BJP dismissed as "cover up" the media report that the USD 21 million fund was for Bangladesh and not India and called Rahul Gandhi a "traitor".

Both the parties held press conferences to accuse each other of weakening the governments in India by using foreign funds.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, meanwhile, termed the USAID funding as "deeply troubling" that has led to concerns over foreign interference in India's internal affairs.

Asked about the issue at the weekly MEA briefing, he said relevant departments and authorities are looking into the information put out by the American administration regarding certain US activities and funding.

"We have seen information that has been put out by the US administration regarding certain US activities and funding. These are obviously very deeply troubling," Jaiswal said.

"Facts show all may have jumped the gun. That USD 21 million ... was sanctioned in 2022 for Bangladesh, not India," the Indian Express report said, citing documents.

US President Donald Trump claimed the USD 21 million funding to India for 'voter turnout' was a "kickback" scheme, as he continued to attack the previous Biden administration over the now cancelled financial aid.

Trump made these remarks while speaking at the Republican Governors Association meeting in Washington DC on Thursday.

"USD 21 million for voter turnout in India. Why are we caring about India's turnout? We have got enough problems. We want our own turnout," he said.

This is the third time within a week that Trump has questioned the funding.

Citing the media report, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "Lies first mouthed in Washington. Lies then amplified by BJP's Jhoot Sena. Lies made to be debated on Godi media." "Lies now thoroughly exposed. Will the liars apologise?" he asked in a post on X.

BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia claimed the USAID funding came to India to meddle with internal politics and disrupt the electoral process in India.

He said when the US President himself has made a statement on USAID funding to India, nobody else could have better knowledge about it than him.

The BJP accused the Congress of using external influence in India's election process, ever since the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) announced on February 16 that it had "cancelled" USAID funding of "USD 21 million for voter turnout 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.

BJP's IT department head Amit Malviya termed the report as "fake news", saying it discusses USD 21 million in funding to Bangladesh in 2022 but "misrepresents" reference to USD-21 million funding tranche to "promote" voter turnout in India.

Addressing a press conference, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera alleged the entire "USD-21 million USAID funds narrative" perpetrated by the BJP, Modi government's ministers, its economic advisor, the party's IT department head, the RSS-BJP ecosystem was done to divert attention from their "own sins" of using foreign funds to destabilise Congress governments in the past.

Citing the report, Khera claimed that the truth has come out that the "USD 21 million USAID funds" were not given to India, but to Bangladesh.

"Official documents prove that. (Prime Minister Narendra) Modiji's best friend Trump had perhaps intentionally or unintentionally made a faux pas through the DOGE. But the fact that the RSS-BJP ecosystem shamelessly latched onto it, without examining the facts, tells you that it wanted to hide its own acts of commissions in damaging India's democracy," he said.

Khera referred to RSS taking CIA's assistance during Emergency and in the run-up to it, besides other instances.

He also alleged that RSS orchestrated the Anna Hazare-Arvind Kejriwal "India Against Corruption" movement to overthrow the Congress-led UPA government with the help of foreign aid, especially from USAID and Ford Foundation.

"Let it be clear, we do not consider global partnerships, developmental agencies, aid mechanisms, such as the USAID, as unscrupulous. It is the BJP that first started the deep-state narrative and demonising the USAID. However, we have enough evidence that the RSS-BJP has been taking covert assistance from foreign agencies to destabilize Indian democracy and bulldoze our Constitution," Khera alleged.

Meanwhile, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar too voiced concern over the alleged USAID funding for raising voter turnout in India, saying people who allowed such an attack on the country's democratic values should be exposed.

Speaking at an event here, he said the remarks on USAID funding came from a person of authority and that it was a fact that money was given.

"People who allowed such an attack (to allegedly damage the electoral purity) should be exposed," he said.

He also said delivering a body blow to such forces is the "national duty" of people.

Addressing another event, Dhankhar said, "Time has come to thoroughly get into this malaise, this political COVID infiltrated in our society to destroy our democracy.All those involved in this sinister activity, who benefited out of this structured pernicious strategy must be shamed and brought to book, fully exposed." As the row snowballed, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi said, "The joke is on us as a nation. The GoI went by DOGE revelation, they lapped up President Trump's statement. The media debated it with glee. Neither of them left with any self respect enough to investigate rather than believe all that is being served to them." TMC leader Saket Gokhale said the BJP held press conferences claiming a big "conspiracy" about election interference in India.

"Turns out the entire 'USD 21 million for voter turnout' thing was an 'error'," he said, accusing the BJP of "lying again for cheap political points". PTI PK ASK SKU SKC ZMN