‘Respect PM Modi, but why give $21 mn to India?’ Trump defends DOGE move

Stating that high tariffs imposed by India makes it hard for the US to do trade with it, Trump hinted that it would be better if the USAID grant meant for India is used for Americans instead.

‘What about voter turnout in US?’

“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 said while signing executive orders at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday (February 18).

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The US president’s statement comes days after the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) announced that it was discontinuing USAID funds meant to boost “voter turnout in India”.

The department said, "US taxpayer dollars were going to be spent on the following items, all (of) which have been cancelled..." The list included USD 486 million in grants to the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening including USD 21 million for "voter turnout in India".

US claims stir up row in India

The announcement has stirred up a major controversy in India with the BJP asking who benefitted from aid and the Opposition Congress demanding a thorough probe into the matter.

Reacting to the post by DOGE on X on Saturday, BJP leader Amit Malviya termed the grant an "external interference" in India's elections. He questioned who the beneficiary was, asserting that it was "not the ruling party for sure".

Former chief election commissioner SY Quraishi on Sunday rejected claims that USAID funding used for raising voter turnout in India when he headed the poll body.

"The report in a section of media about an MoU by the ECI in 2012, when I was CEC, for funding of certain million dollars by a US agency for raising voter turnout in India does not have an iota of fact," Quraishi had said in a statement. "There was no financing or even promise of finance involved in MoU, forget X or Y amount," he had said.

Also read: Musk-headed DOGE cuts $21 mn US funding to increase voter turnout in India

Congress demands probe

The Congress on Monday said the party was against any foreign intervention in the democratic or electoral process in the country and asked the government to conduct a thorough probe.

Senior Congress leader and party treasurer Ajay Maken said the party condemns any kind of foreign intervention in the electoral process in the country and action should be taken against those involved.

"The Congress party is clear that any kind of foreign intervention in our democratic process or election process is unwarranted and not correct and we oppose it. It needs to be condemned and there should be a probe into it," he told reporters.

Maken said as per reports, the money that is said to have come in 2012 should be thoroughly probed as BJP leaders were claiming that the ruling party would not have benefitted from such intervention, as the Congress was in power at the time.

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"In 2012, if it is stated that money had come in, then the Government of India should conduct a probe and take action against those involved," he said. In the last few years, a lot of money has come in the country and the government should hold a thorough probe into where that money went and came from, he added.