Former U.S. President Donald Trump explicitly named Prime Minister Narendra Modi while reaffirming his assertion—now for the fourth day in a row—that India received $21 million under USAID for "voter turnout." This is against the backdrop of a fierce political controversy in the U.S. over the matter.
In his latest comment, Trump clearly distinguished between USAID money distributed to India and Bangladesh, countering an Indian Express report that indicated that the money was exclusively meant for Dhaka, not New Delhi.
Earlier, Trump had hinted—without basis—that the funds could have been used to interfere in India's 2024 Lok Sabha polls. This time, he made his position even clearer:
$21 million to my buddy Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India for voter turnout. We are providing $21 million for voter turnout in India. What about us? I want voter turnout too," Trump said enigmatically.
He then changed gears to Bangladesh, citing an independent USAID grant of $29 million intended for "strengthening the political landscape." He asserted, "USD 29 million in Bangladesh went to a company nobody had ever heard of. Only two individuals were employed in that company."
BJP Targets Opposition Over Funding Claims
After Trump's comments, BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya used X (formerly Twitter) to attack both the media and the opposition for playing down Trump's claims.
For the third consecutive day, US President Donald Trump repeated his assertion regarding USAID spending activities to encourage India's voter turnout… But how much does he know about expenditure in his own country? The Indian Express and the demented Left are convinced they are wiser!" Malviya tweeted.
The controversy further deepened after Indian Express published an investigative piece stating that India had not received any USAID funding for election-related projects since 2008. According to the report, the $21 million grant referenced by Trump was actually sanctioned in 2022 for a voter participation initiative in Bangladesh.
Trump's Repeated Allegations
Trump has time and again raised the issue of USAID funding, particularly after the DOGE led by Elon Musk is said to have suspended the $21 million payment to India and other such grants to other countries earlier this month.
Trump asked on February 19 why America "can hardly get in there" because of tariffs when $21 million was being spent in India.
The next day, he raised the pitch of his rhetoric, speculating that the Biden administration's approval of the funding could have been an effort to influence India's elections.
"USD 21 million for voter turnout in India. Why do we need to spend USD 21 million for voter turnout in India? I guess they (the Biden administration) were attempting to get somebody else elected. We have got to tell the Indian government. This is a total breakthrough," he said.
On Friday, speaking at a Republican governors' conference, he took it a step further, referring to the funding as a "kickback scheme."
"$21 million for India voter turnout. Why are we worrying about India turnout? We got enough issues… it's a kickback scam, you understand," Trump stated.
Indian Government's Response
After keeping quiet on the issue for four days, the Indian government finally responded to Trump's accusations, terming them as "deeply troubling." The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) took umbrage at possible foreign interference into India's internal affairs.
"India has several ministries and agencies that deal with USAID. All these agencies and ministries are considering this now," an MEA spokesperson stated at a media briefing on Friday.
Political Storm: BJP vs Congress
The controversy has set off a raging political war in India, with the BJP and Congress accusing each other of alleged "external interference" in polls.
The BJP has also shifted its attention to Rahul Gandhi, quoting his earlier remarks at a 2023 event in London to blame him for conspiring with foreign powers against India. BJP leader Gaurav Bhatia also mentioned that most USAID funding to India was done during the Congress-led UPA regime.
“While funding for the Indian government stopped, there was an increase in funding for NGOs during Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, seemingly to strengthen him ahead of elections and counter Narendra Modi,” Bhatia claimed at a press briefing.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Pawan Khera hit back, arguing that the BJP had itself relied on external influence when it was in opposition.
The Congress has rejected Trump's assertions as "nonsensical" and asked the Modi government to issue a White Paper laying out USAID's financial engagement with Indian government agencies and NGOs.
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