– Abdul Bari Masoud
New Delhi: The Congress hit back at the BJP over its foreign funding allegations, accusing the RSS of taking CIA money to destabilise the Nehru and Indira Gandhi governments.
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera, addressing a press conference, called the RSS a “puppet of the US.” He also mentioned Ford Foundation funding for the Anna Hazare-Kejriwal protests in 2012, aimed at destabilising the UPA government.
Khera criticized the BJP and NSA Ajit Doval over false claims of USAID providing $21 million to influence Indian voter turnout. Citing a newspaper report, he pointed out the funds were actually sent to Bangladesh. He questioned the IB and RAW for failing to act if such a large sum was funneled into a neighboring country. Mocking Modi’s ally Gautam Adani, he noted the businessman suffered losses due to the alleged USAID-backed regime change in Bangladesh.
Khera cited a former CIA agent’s revelation that the RSS received massive aid for its “cow protection” protests, which aimed to destabilise Nehru’s government. He also claimed the RSS plotted Congress president K Kamaraj’s murder.
Continuing its US ties, the RSS sought American support for JP Narayan’s 1974 movement against Indira Gandhi. Khera pointed to RSS leader Dattopant Thengadi and RSS-backed Subramanian Swamy’s US visit supporting the JP movement. He reiterated that the Anna-Kejriwal protests were Ford Foundation-funded, with the RSS and Vivekananda Foundation involved.
Khera also slammed PM Modi’s “meek surrender” before Donald Trump, recalling how Modi smiled while Trump imposed tariffs on India. He questioned why Modi did not protest. He also revealed Union Minister Piyush Goyal and Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis frequently met USAID officials.
Congress, Khera asserted, will not stay silent. He demanded a White Paper on aid agency funding—legal or illegal—and its usage. Congress, he warned, will release a “black paper” revealing the truth. “Those in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones,” he cautioned the BJP.
