SOURCE: IANS
India has expressed concern over reports regarding the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) allegedly meddling in Indian elections and spending millions to influence voter turnout. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed that relevant departments and agencies are investigating the matter.
“We have seen information that has been put out by the US administration regarding certain USAID activities and funding. These are obviously very deeply troubling. This has led to concerns about foreign interference in India’s internal affairs,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a media briefing in New Delhi.
“Relevant departments and agencies are looking into this matter. It would be premature to make a public comment at this stage. Relevant authorities are looking into this and hopefully, we can come up with an update on that subsequently,” he added.
The issue gained further attention after US President Donald Trump raised concerns about the Biden administration’s decision to allocate $21 million through USAID to influence electoral outcomes in India. “Why do we need to spend $21 million on voter turnout in India? I guess they were trying to get somebody else elected. We have got to tell the Indian Government… This is a total breakthrough,” Trump said during the FII Priority Summit in Miami on Thursday, India time.
Earlier, Trump had supported the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) decision to cancel the $21 million funding for voter turnout initiatives in India. “Why are we giving $21 million to India? They got 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 Minister, but giving $21 million for voter turnout? In India? What about voter turnout here?” Trump remarked during a speech at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.
On February 16, the Elon Musk-led DOGE announced the cancellation of the $21 million grant, highlighting various foreign assistance programmes that were deemed unnecessary or excessive, with the India voter turnout project being the most prominent. The department also cancelled other assistance programmes for countries such as Bangladesh and Nepal, including $29 million for strengthening the political landscape in Bangladesh and $20 million for fiscal federalism in Nepal.
Questions have also arisen regarding USAID’s involvement in Bangladesh during the Biden administration and its potential role in the ousting of the Awami League government led by Sheikh Hasina in August. All USAID aid programmes in Bangladesh have now been suspended.