NEW DELHI: The political controversy surrounding the reported $21 million USAID funding for voter turnout in India continued on Saturday, with External Affairs Minister calling the accusations “worrisome”.
The Congress too intensified its demand for a white paper on the US agency funding as well as funding from other American agencies in India.
“Some information has been put out there by the Trump administration people, and obviously, that is concerning… I think, as a government, we’re looking into it,” EAM Jaishankar said at the Delhi University Literature Festival.
“My sense is that the facts will come out…USAID was allowed here in good faith, to do good faith activities; now, suggestions are being laid out from America that there are activities which are in bad faith. It’s worrisome, and if there’s something to it, then the country should know who the people are involved in it,” he said.
Congress leader Pawan Khera said, “PM Modi must talk to his friend, US President Trump, and strongly refute the allegation on him that the America was about to give USD 21 million to him and India for increasing the voter turnout.” Khera said that between 2001 and 2024, “a total of $2.1 billion came into India,” with “40 per cent of it arriving under the Modi government.”
He added, “One-fourth of the total amount came since 2021, averaging $165 million per year. We demand to know who received the money.”
On the Centre’s claim that agencies were examining the funding issue, Khera dismissed it, saying, “Government is not telling the truth.”
This marks the third time Trump has raised the $21 million fund controversy. On Friday, he called the allocation a “kickback scheme,” questioning, “$21 million for voter turnout in India. Why are we concerned about India’s turnout? We’ve got enough problems of our own. We want our own turnout. In many cases, when you have no idea what we’re talking about, it means there’s a kickback because no one knows what’s going on there.”
Earlier Trump had said: “why do we need to spend 21 million for voter turnout in India? I guess they were trying to get somebody else elected.”