Washington- US President Donald Trump has claimed that the Biden administration allocated USD 18 million in funding to India to help with its elections, arguing that the country doesn’t need this money.
His remarks came during a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Saturday after he repeatedly attacked the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for allocating USD 21 million in funding to India for “voter turnout”.
In his speech, Trump also accused India of taking advantage of the US.
“Eighteen million dollars for helping India with its elections. Why the hell? Why don’t we just go to old paper ballots, and let them help us with their elections, right? Voter ID. Wouldn’t that be nice? We’re giving money to India for elections. They don’t need money,” he said.
“They take advantage of us pretty good. One of the highest tariff nations in the world…We have a 200 per cent (tariffs) there and then we’re giving them a lot of money to help them with their election,” Trump said.
Trump also criticised the USAID for giving USD 29 million to Bangladesh.
“USD 29 million goes to strengthen the political landscape and help them out so that they can vote for a radical left communist in Bangladesh,” he said, without naming anyone.
Trump has repeatedly claimed that USAID under the previous administration led by Joe Biden allocated USD 21 million in funding to India for “voter turnout”, sparking a row in the country over the assistance.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday said the information put out by the Trump administration people is “concerning” and that the government is looking into it.
During an interaction at an event in New Delhi, he also said the USAID was allowed in India “in good faith, to do good faith activities”, and suggestions are being made out of America that “there are activities which are in bad faith.”
“So, it surely warrants a look. And, if there is something to it, I think the country should know who are the people involved in the bad faith activities,” the external affairs minister said.
The Congress party on Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to “talk to his friend” and strongly refute the allegation.
Why Is Our Govt Silent: Congress
Amid the USAID funding row, the Congress on Sunday accused the BJP of indulging in “anti-national work” by spreading “fake news from America” and asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will also have to answer as to why the government is silent when US President Donald Trump and Elon Musk are “insulting” India repeatedly.
The BJP has rejected all such allegations of the Congress and called Rahul Gandhi a “traitor”, accusing him of colluding with foreign forces in his bid to weaken India.
Congress general secretary in-charge Jairam Ramesh said, “BJP is a procession of liars and illiterates.The news about USD 21 million, on which the BJP and their bootlickers were jumping on, turned out to be fake.The USD 21 million in 2022 was not for ‘voter turnout’ in India, but for Bangladesh.”
“Elon Musk made a fake claim, Trump got confused between Dhaka and Delhi, Amit Malviya spread the lie further, then the rest of BJP’s bootlickers seized on it,” he charged.
Ever since the Trump administration’s DOGE said on February 16 that USAID has cancelled the USD 21 million funding for “voting in India”, the BJP has been making fabricated allegations against the Congress, Ramesh said in his post in Hindi on X.
“But now it is coming to light that this entire news is fake. When the money has not even reached India, then what would be the cancellation?” he said.
The controversy is actually about two USAID grants on DOGE’s list that were given through the Washington-based Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS), the Congress leader said.
The CEPPS was supposed to receive a total of USD 486 million from USAID, he said, adding that according to DOGE, the funds included USD 22 million for Moldova and USD 21 million for “voter turnout in India”, he said.
“The first fund USAID gave to CEPPS for Moldova was in 2016 with the ID AID117LA1600001. But the USAID USD 21 million grant for India marked by DOGE is completely fake. Because it was for Bangladesh, not India,” he claimed.
And the reality is that of the USD 21 million earmarked for Bangladesh, USD 13.4 million has already been disbursed before the January 2024 elections, Ramesh said.
“Every federal grant specifies the country in which it is to be used. According to US federal spending, there have been no USAID-funded CEPPS projects in India since 2008. The only ongoing USD 21 million USAID grant to CEPPS, ID 72038822LA00001, was approved in July 2022 for Bangladesh’s ‘Amar Vote Amar’ (My Vote Is Mine),” he pointed out.
“In November 2022, the purpose of the grant was changed to ‘USAID’s Nagorik Programme’. A USAID official in Dhaka also confirmed this on social media during his US visit in December 2024: ‘I manage the USD 21 million CEPPS/Nagorik project funded by USAID’,” Ramesh said.
“Now the BJP should just answer this: Why did the BJP spread fake news about India’s democracy? Why did the BJP did anti-national work by spreading fake news from America? If BJP’s accusing India’s opposition party over fake news from America is not treason, then what is it?” he said.
Ramesh said “Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will also have to answer, Donald Trump and Elon Musk are insulting India again and again, and why is our government silent on this?”
The Congress leader said “Is it the case that the country’s self-respect has been compromised in the process of begging for mercy for Adani?”
Trump for the fourth time in recent days has claimed that the Biden administration allocated USD 21 million funding to India for voter turnout , evoking a sharp response from the Congress which urged Prime Minister Modi to talk to his friend and strongly refute the allegation.
The opposition party has demanded a white paper on the funds received in India from developmental agencies, aid mechanisms and multilateral forums.
It also sought legal action against the RSS-BJP and their ecosystem for making wild allegations against credible civil society members, NGOs and political parties.
In Washington, speaking at a ‘Governors Working Session,’ Trump had said: Twenty-one million dollars going to my friend Prime Minister Modi in India for voter turnout. We’re giving 21 million for voter turnout in India. What about us? I want voter turnout too.
A video clipping from the event was posted on social media by the White House on Friday.
Trump also said that money went to strengthen the political landscape in Bangladesh to a firm that nobody ever heard of.
In New Delhi, reacting to Trump’s remarks, the Congress on Saturday demanded a comprehensive white paper on the funds that political parties, individuals, NGOs, organisations received from developmental agencies, aid mechanisms and multilateral forums.
The white paper should not only focus on USAID funding, but all such agencies which fund both governments, individuals and all other entities under Indian law, Congress’ media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said on Saturday.
Hitting back at Khera, BJP leader Ajay Alok said the Congress people have probably lost their mind.
Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group: Join Now
Be Part of Quality Journalism |
Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce and despite all the hardships we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what you care about, break big stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying while advertising revenues are falling fast. |
| ACT NOW |
| MONTHLY | Rs 100 |  |
| YEARLY | Rs 1000 | |
| LIFETIME | Rs 10000 | |
