Congress leader Rahul Gandhi | Photo: PTI Congress leader Rahul Gandhi | Photo: PTI

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) IT cell chief Amit Malviya on Thursday targeted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of seeking foreign interference in India’s internal affairs ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. 

Malviya’s remarks came after former US President Donald Trump alleged that the Biden administration had attempted to influence India's elections by spending $21 million on voter turnout initiatives.

Speaking at the FII PRIORITY Summit in Miami, Trump questioned the logic behind the substantial funds directed towards India’s voter turnout, suggesting that the goal was to “get somebody else elected.” He added, “We have got to tell the Indian Government... This is a total breakthrough.”

Malviya took to social media platform X to respond, asserting that Gandhi had actively sought foreign powers to intervene in India’s electoral process. He shared a video of Gandhi's March 2023 interaction with the Indian Journalists' Association in London, in which the Congress leader appeared to urge foreign entities, ranging from the US to Europe, to intervene in India’s internal affairs.

“Rahul Gandhi has aligned himself with global networks seeking to undermine India’s strategic and geopolitical interests,Peso63 login acting as a tool for foreign agencies,” Malviya wrote in his post. “Now, former US President Donald Trump has confirmed that there was indeed an attempt to influence the Indian election and install someone other than Prime Minister Modi.”

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The BJP has repeatedly criticized Gandhi’s international engagements, and the party’s Goa unit also joined the chorus, casting doubts on his trips to the US and the UK. They questioned whether the “Deep State” was backing Gandhi’s political efforts and speculated about potential deals between him and foreign powers.

The revised advisory issued on Wednesday also strongly advised Indian nationals not to travel to Lebanon “in view of the recent developments and escalations in the region”. The updated advisory was issued amid Israel's continued attacks across Lebanon killing hundreds of people and injuring thousands more.

Trump’s comments came just a day after he defended the Department of Governance Efficiency (DOGE) decision to cancel the $21 million funding for voter turnout initiatives in India.

At a Mar-a-Lago event, Trump remarked, “Why are we giving USD 21 million to India? They have a lot more money. They are one of the highest taxing countries in the world in terms of us; we can hardly get in there because their tariffs are so high. I have a lot of respect for India and their Prime Ministerhot646, but giving USD 21 million for voter turnout?”