📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Nitesh Modi
Politics
BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi challenges USAID funding, asks Rahul Gandhi ‘whose side are you on?’
✍️ The Economic Times
🗓 12 Oct 2026, 02:32 AM
👁 12
During a parliamentary session, BJP leader Sudhanshu Trivedi queried the allocation of USAID funds and directly confronted Rahul Gandhi, demanding clarification on his stance.
In a recent session of Parliament, BJP parliamentarian Sudhanshu Trivedi raised concerns over the disbursement of funds from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). He highlighted the need for transparency regarding the utilisation of foreign aid in India and questioned whether such funding aligns with national interests.
Trivedi directed his query specifically at opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, asking him to state unequivocally whose side he represents in the debate over foreign assistance. The BJP MP framed the question as a test of Gandhi’s loyalty to Indian sovereignty and the ruling government's policy agenda.
Rahul Gandhi responded by reiterating the opposition’s stance that foreign aid should be scrutinised but did not provide a detailed answer to the personal challenge. The exchange underscored the growing political friction between the ruling party and the opposition over external funding and its perceived impact on domestic policy.
Analysts note that the incident reflects a broader narrative in Indian politics where foreign aid, especially from the United States, is increasingly used as a point of contention between parties ahead of upcoming electoral contests.
Trivedi directed his query specifically at opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, asking him to state unequivocally whose side he represents in the debate over foreign assistance. The BJP MP framed the question as a test of Gandhi’s loyalty to Indian sovereignty and the ruling government's policy agenda.
Rahul Gandhi responded by reiterating the opposition’s stance that foreign aid should be scrutinised but did not provide a detailed answer to the personal challenge. The exchange underscored the growing political friction between the ruling party and the opposition over external funding and its perceived impact on domestic policy.
Analysts note that the incident reflects a broader narrative in Indian politics where foreign aid, especially from the United States, is increasingly used as a point of contention between parties ahead of upcoming electoral contests.