India is currently experiencing a political slugfest after US President Donald Trump claimed that his nation spent $21 million to increase voter turnout in the country’s elections.
He made the statement a few days after a group headed by Elon Musk declared that it had canceled the reimbursement as part of its campaign against a US foreign aid organization.
The payout was referred to as “external interference” by India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which held the opposition Congress party responsible for requesting this intervention.
Trump’s claims were deemed “nonsensical” by the Congress, which disputed the accusation. The United States has not substantiated its allegation with any evidence.
Friday saw India’s foreign ministry expressing the sentiment that the situation reported was, indeed, “deeply troubling.”
According to Randhir Jaiswal, a spokesman for the foreign ministry, it was “premature” to comment publicly on the situation at this time and that the appropriate authorities were looking into it.
Following his pledge to strengthen the US economy, Trump established the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), headed by Musk, with the goal of cutting federal employment and spending. Musk claims that Doge’s goal is to reduce the national debt and save taxpayer money.
A major action that is currently generating international attention is the crackdown on USAID, the US organization that has been in charge of humanitarian assistance since the 1960s. On Sunday, Musk, who has referred to USAID as a “criminal organization,” declared that funding for a number of programs had been canceled.
The cuts also included “$486m for the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening,” “$21m for voter turnout in India,” and “$22m for the inclusive and participatory political process in Moldova.”
Trump defended Doge’s cuts, claiming that “India had a lot of money” and is among the highest-taxing countries in the world.
Trump also announced plans to increase energy exports and weapons sales, a week after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his first trip to Washington during his second term, where he unveiled plans for a new defense framework and a trade pact.
We need to tell the Indian government. I think things are going to happen here, and we must tell them.
BJP leader Amit Malviya shared a video of Congressman Rahul Gandhi at a function in London the day before the 2024 general election.
“From the United States to Europe, Rahul Gandhi was in London, urging foreign powers to intervene in India’s internal affairs,” Malviya claimed in his post on X.
Jairam Ramesh, the leader of the Congress, denied the allegation and asked the government to provide a report on USAID’s decades-long assistance to governmental and non-governmental organizations under PM Modi.
In reality, did USAID provide India with $21 million?
Doge and Trump have not offered proof that USAID donated India $21 million for voter turnout, despite claims to the contrary.
While the poll panel in India has not yet answered, SY Qureshi, the former head of the election, denied taking such funds during his 2010–2012 term.
In 2012, under Mr. Qureshi, Malviya had previously asserted that the panel had entered into a deal with a group associated with George Soros’ foundation, which was mostly sponsored by USAID, to promote a push to increase voting turnout.
The agreement expressly imposed “no financial or legal obligation on either side,” according to Mr. Qureshi, who denounced the accusation as “malicious.”
The $21 million was approved for Bangladesh, not India, according to an investigative report published by the Indian Express newspaper on Friday.
Records the newspaper accessed showed that $13.4 million had already been spent on it, which was supposed to last for three years, ending in July 2025.
