Smriti Irani’s USAID link: Congress takes ‘rasode mein kaun tha’ dig at BJP

The Congress on Tuesday took a “rasode mein kaun tha” dig at BJP over former union minister Smriti Irani’s old link to a programme purportedly funded by USAID, which has fallen on bad days in the US.

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“Smriti Irani was the country’s first representative at the Monte Carlo TV festival and was also appointed as goodwill ambassador to India by USAID for the WHO-ORS programme for three years,” Congress leader and Priyank Kharge posted on X, along with an old government press statement corroborating the claim.

“Interesting. According to the Government’s official website, Ms Smriti Irani’s bio states that she has served as the USAID 'Goodwill Ambassador' to India. Does this imply BJP politicians are real agents of George Soros?” said Kharge, adding that the campaign got USAID funds.

BJP has been accusing the Congress of a nexus between the US hedge fund tycoon Soros and Sonia Gandhi, a charge the Congress has been denying.

Associating with the attack, AICC media department chief Pawan Khera took a swipe at BJP, which has been accusing the erstwhile Congress-led UPA of accepting USAID funding.

“This is brilliant. We finally have the answer to BJP’s favourite question — Rasode mein kaun tha?” said Khera attacking Irani.

Hitting back, BJP said the World Health Organization (WHO) appointed Smriti Irani as Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) Goodwill Brand Ambassador from 2002 to 2005.

“At the time, she was a household name due to the immense popularity of the television serial ‘Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi’. The WHO campaign featuring Smriti Irani was endorsed by the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), among others, which permitted promotional material to be displayed on its buses. Sheila Dikshit was the Chief Minister of Delhi then, and Pawan Khera served as her personal assistant, handling trivial tasks like carrying her chappals and suitcase. Matters of actual significance, such as this campaign, were likely above his pay grade at the time,” BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya said.

Malviya asked, “Do I even need to mention that the Congress-led UPA was in power between 2004 and 2005? This is what happens when men of no accomplishments find themselves in positions of presumed relevance within inconsequential organisations.

Moreover, the Congress should stop obsessing over Smriti Irani. The fact that she defeated Rahul Gandhi at the hustings will remain a permanent nightmare in their memory,” the BJP leader added.

The Department of Government Efficiency under Elon Musk in the US recently cancelled several USAID funding plans, including a USD 21 million aid for “voter turnout” in India.