New Delhi: Calling US President Donald Trump’s remarks “deeply troubling”, India said on Friday (February 21) that “relevant authorities” were investigating the reported allocation of $21 million by a US development agency for ‘voter turnout’ and which has sparked a political controversy over “concerns” of alleged foreign interference.
In its first official response, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the government was aware of “information that has been put out by the US administration regarding certain USAID [US Agency for International Development] activities and funding”.
“These are obviously very deeply troubling. This has led to concerns about foreign interference in India’s internal affairs. Relevant departments and agencies are looking into this matter,” he said at the weekly media briefing.
He added that it would be “premature to make a public comment at this stage”.
The MEA official’s response addressed two separate questions – one seeking India’s comment on Trump’s assertion about funds to India and the other asking whether the government would investigate the numerous agreements signed between Indian ministries and USAID since 2015.
He was also asked multiple questions about an investigative report by the Indian Express published on Friday, which claimed that Trump’s statement regarding $21 million in USAID funding to India was wrong, as the money was actually allocated for Bangladesh.
Jaiswal’s response remained unchanged and he refused to engage with any of the claims and details mentioned in the Express report which the Opposition has cited as evidence that the BJP had used false information to cast aspersions on its political opponents.
“Look, on the issue of US aid, what I had to say has been conveyed to you, and it has been stated that there are many units in the Indian government that work with US aid. There are several ministries. So, all the ministries related to this and the agencies working are currently monitoring this issue. So when an update comes to us, we will share it with you,” he said.
Official sources said that while authorities were “looking into” the matter, they maintained that it was not a probe or investigation, which is why the MEA spokesperson avoided using those terms.
The US President had also stated, “we have to tell the Indian government” about the alleged motivation behind the USAID funding. However, when asked whether India would seek assistance from the US government, given the official characterization of the matter as serious, ministry sources said it was too early to speculate.
Earlier this week, Trump claimed that a $21 million grant by USAID for voter turnout in India – which the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) had cancelled – was to topple the Modi government.
“Why do we need to spend $21 million on voter turnout in India? I guess they were trying to get somebody else elected. We have got to tell the Indian government. Because when we hear that Russia spent about $2 [sic] in our country, it was a big deal. They took some internet ads for $2,000. This is a total breakthrough,” he said at an event in Miami on Wednesday.
“I have a lot of respect for India. I have a lot of respect for the prime minister. He just left, as you know, two days ago. But we’re giving $ 21 million for voter turnout. It’s voter turnout in India. What about, like, voter turnout here? Oh, we’ve done that, I guess. We did $ 500 million, didn’t we? It’s called the lockboxes,” he said during a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago residence.
The move to revoke the funding came through an announcement by DOGE on its X account on February 16, in which the department declared the cancellation of financial support previously allocated to the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening.
Trump endorsed the move, stating, “Why are we giving USD 21 million to India? They have got a lot of 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.”
DOGE’s announcement on X prompted BJP leaders to claim – without evidence – that the funds had been directed to the Congress to unseat the Modi government.
Fact-checkers on X highlighted USAID’s extensive involvement in Modi government initiatives, noting that Modi himself had presided over events featuring USAID officials.
Congress general secretary in charge of media communications Jairam Ramesh described Trump’s comment as “typically nonsense”.
“Even so, the Govt of India should bring out a White Paper at the earliest detailing USAID’s support to both governmental and non-governmental institutions in India over the decades,” he said.
