‘Money Given To Influence Elections’: Congress Tears Into BJP After Trump’s ‘Modi Got $21 Million’ Remark

<p>The Congress on Saturday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Donald Trump’s claim of US sending $21 million to ‘friend Modi’ to increase voter turnout in India.</p>
<p>Congress leader Pawan Khera said the Modi government, its ministers, its economic advisor, BJP&rsquo;s IT department head, its ecosystem and &ldquo;one-fourth media,&rdquo; which acts as cheerleaders for the BJP are desperately tying themselves in knots to somehow prove their allegation of &lsquo;deep state&rsquo; and &lsquo;foreign intervention&rsquo; with regards to &lsquo;USD 21 million USAID funds narrative.&rsquo; &nbsp;</p>
<p>Khera pointed at &ldquo;three significant developments,&rdquo; including Trump’s remark about &ldquo;my friend Prime Minister Modi.&rdquo;</p>
<p>”Today, PM Modi’s friend Donald Trump said he has given 21 million dollars to his friend Narendra Modi…After Trump’s statement, there is silence all around, nobody is saying anything,” Congress leader Pawan Khera said in a media briefing.&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href=”https://news.abplive.com/news/india/funding-for-voter-turnout-pm-modi-donald-trump-raises-issue-again-21-million-to-my-friend-modi-1753294″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>’$21 Million To ‘My Friend Modi’: Trump Raises Funding For Voter Turnout Issue Again</a></strong>&nbsp;</p>
<p>”Where has these 21 million dollars gone? We want to know from Narendra Modi. We have been calling for a white paper (on this issue) again and again. After Trump’s statement it is proved that the $21 million was given to his friend Modi to influence the elections and increase voter turnout,” Khera added. &nbsp;</p>
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<p dir=”ltr” lang=”hi”>डोनाल्ड ट्रंप ने आज कहा कि 21 मिलियन डॉलर मैंने अपने दोस्त नरेंद्र मोदी को वोटर टर्नआउट बढ़ाने के लिए दिए हैं।<br /><br />लेकिन ट्रंप के इस बयान के बाद आज चारों तरफ चुप्पी है। इसलिए हम नरेंद्र मोदी से जानना चाहते हैं कि ये 21 मिलियन डॉलर कहां गए?<br /><br />क्योंकि ट्रंप के बयान से साबित हो गया है&hellip; <a href=”https://t.co/JlD0yczwQC”>pic.twitter.com/JlD0yczwQC</a></p>
&mdash; Congress (@INCIndia) <a href=”https://twitter.com/INCIndia/status/1893252749518872885?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>February 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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<p>The statement from the Congress came shortly after US President Donald Trump on Friday raised the issue of $21 million funding for ‘voter turnout in India’ and questioned why such substantial amount was being spent abroad.</p>
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<p dir=”ltr” lang=”en”>Here is a statement issued by my colleague <a href=”https://twitter.com/Pawankhera?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@Pawankhera</a> on the USAID issue on which the US President and the BJP lied brazenly – and that is being kept in the news by the PM’s good friend in Washington DC. <a href=”https://t.co/BsjYWmreE4″>pic.twitter.com/BsjYWmreE4</a></p>
&mdash; Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) <a href=”https://twitter.com/Jairam_Ramesh/status/1893259505149903348?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>February 22, 2025</a></blockquote>
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<p>”And $21 million dollars going to my friend Prime Minister Modi in India for voter turnout. We’re giving 21 million for voter turnout in India. What about us? I want voter turnout too,” Trump said in Washington while speaking at a ‘Governors Working Session.</p>
<p>A video clipping from the event was posted on social media by the White House on Friday. Trump also said that money went to strengthen the political landscape in Bangladesh to a firm that nobody ever heard of.</p>
<p>”Got USD 29 million. They got a check. Can you imagine? You have a little firm, you get 10,000 here, 10,000 there, and then we get 29 million from the United States government. There are two people working in that firm… I think they’re very happy, they’re very rich. They’ll be on the cover of a very good business magazine pretty soon for being great scammers. USD 20 million for fiscal federalism, USD 90 million for biodiversity in Nepal and USD 47 million for improving learning outcomes in Asia. Asia got a lot of money,&rdquo; Trump said.</p>