NEW DELHI: The controversy in the US over USAID (United States Agency for International Development) assistance for promoting “woke” culture and “liberal ideology” and influencing politics in different countries reverberated in Lok Sabha on Monday with BJP MP Nishikant Dubey alleging that the agency funded anti-India elements aligned with Congress, and demanded a comprehensive probe.
Speaking during Zero Hour in Lok Sabha, Dubey said USAID, whose operations have been shuttered by President Donald Trump, collaborated with George Soros, the controversial US billionaire, and Congress leadership to promote “western agenda”.
“Did USAID provide Rs 5,000 crore to Open Society Foundation run by George Soros to destabilise India? Did USAID and George Soros Foundation give money to Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and Rajiv Gandhi Charitable Trust or not? I demand that Congress should answer and a govt probe be conducted,” Dubey said as Congress members protested.
Dubey’s attack coincided with growing outrage in America over details of USAID’s funding – from promotion of a transgender concert and publication of transgender comic books in South American countries to promotion of atheism in Nepal and helping migrant workers in Tamil Nadu “deal with loneliness”. Last week, Republican Senator Geoge Kennedy brought up the issue of funds for opening of a clinic for transgenders in India and got the support of the influential billionaire Trump ally, Elon Musk.
Dubey saw USAID’s hand in Nepal ceasing to be a Hindu republic, and blamed the US agency also for the turmoil in Bangladesh.
Several Congress members rose in protest against Dubey’s remarks and sought to raise a point of order but were disallowed by presiding officer Sandhya Ray who said such provisions did not apply to Zero Hour proceedings. Later, Congress members met Speaker Om Birla to register their objection to Dubey being allowed to make unsubstantiated claims in the House.
“USAID gave money to support electric vehicles in Vietnam with our taxpayers’ money. USAID gave money to a transgender clinic in India. I didn’t know that. I bet the American people didn’t know that. Musk also found that $1.5 million was given to Serbian LGBT organisations. They got the money to advance diversity, equity and inclusion in Serbian workplaces and business communities,” Kennedy had said, adding, “USAID spent $164 million to support radical organisations around the world. Of that, they gave $122 million to groups aligned with foreign terrorist organisations. USAID gave millions of dollars to such organisations in Gaza.”
The comments came days after Republican Congresswoman Nancy Mace questioned the $750,000 grant by USAID to an NGO linked to actor Sonam Kapoor’s brother-in-law Anant Ahuja for “alleviating loneliness among migrant workers in India”.
