Trump alleges USAID sent $21M to India for voter turnout, India rejects claims as ‘deeply troubling’

The ongoing political storm over USAID funding to India escalated further after US President Donald Trump reiterated his claims that $21 million was granted to India for voter turnout efforts. For the fourth day in a row, Trump alleged that the funds may have influenced India's 2024 Lok Sabha elections, a charge that New Delhi has firmly denied.

Trump's latest remarks contradict a report by Indian Express, which stated that no such USAID funding was allocated to India for elections since 2008. According to the report, the $21 million grant was actually sanctioned for a voter participation project in Bangladesh in 2022. However, Trump doubled down on his claim, even taking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s name in his speech.

"$21 million going to my friend Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India for voter turnout. What about us? I want voter turnout too," Trump said, questioning why American funds were being used for elections in other countries. He further alleged that $29 million was given to an unknown firm in Bangladesh, adding to the controversy.

As expected, the remarks triggered a fierce political battle between India’s ruling BJP and the opposition Congress. BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya accused critics of blindly trusting media reports over the US President's statements. Meanwhile, the Congress dismissed Trump’s allegations as ‘nonsensical’ and demanded that the Modi government release a White Paper detailing USAID’s funding history in India.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) finally broke its silence, calling the allegations "deeply troubling". The ministry stated that various Indian agencies are reviewing their interactions with USAID-funded projects, but reaffirmed that no election-related funding was received.

With elections approaching in the US, Trump’s remarks are widely seen as an attempt to attack the Biden administration over its international spending. However, in India, the controversy has taken a domestic political turn, with both major parties using it to attack each other.