Greater Noida (National Desk): US President Donald Trump on Thursday claimed that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funds were being used to interfere in India’s election and to elect someone else as Indian Prime Minister.
USA’s Department of Government Efficiency on February 16 this year claimed that USAID were going to be spent $21M for voter turnout in India. This claim raised many questions. Who were the recipients of this money? Why does US spend money in India for voter turnout? Why they want to interfere in the Indian democratic election process?
Trump said on Thursday, “…I guess they were trying to get someone else elected. We have got to tell the Indian government… This is a total breakthrough…”
https://twitter.com/amitmalviya/status/1892409137155494051?s=61&t=d3yIOZa47gdqLzaNm0JcdQ
Responding to this statement, Congress Party called it a ‘nonsensical’ act and demanding a white paper from the Modi government.
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh wrote on social media website X, “USAID is very much in the news these days. It was set up on November 3, 1961. Claims being made by the US President are typically nonsensical to say the least. 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.”
USAID is very much in the news these days.
It was set up on November 3, 1961. Claims being made by the US President are typically nonsensical to say the least. Even so, the Govt of India should bring out a White Paper at the earliest detailing USAID’s support to both…
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) February 20, 2025
Economist Sanjeev Sanyal termed this as the biggest scam in human history and writes, “Would love to find out who received the US$21mn spent to improve “voter turnout in India” and the US$29mn to “strengthening political landscape in Bangladesh”; not to mention the US$29mn spend to improve “fiscal federalism” in Nepal. USAID is the biggest scam in human history.”
