New Delhi, India: In a bid to conserve taxpayer dollars in the U.S., the Donald Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has terminated several international initiatives, including a $21 million budget intended for boosting voter turnout in India, a decision that has sparked considerable debate. On Wednesday, President Trump defended the move, asserting that the financial aid was unwarranted given India’s economic standing. The $21 million was meant to enhance voter participation in Indian elections, but Trump insisted that such spending was not a priority for American taxpayers. While signing a series of executive orders at Mar-a-Lago, Trump stated, “Why are we giving $21 million to India? They have a lot of money. They are one of the highest taxing countries in the world. We can hardly enter their market due to their high tariffs. I have great respect for India and its Prime Minister, but giving $21 million for voter turnout?” In a post on X, DOGE announced, “U.S. taxpayer funds were set to be allocated to the following items, all of which have been canceled…” The cuts encompassed “$21M for voter turnout in India; $29M for enhancing the political landscape in Bangladesh; $20M for fiscal federalism in Nepal.”
BJP AND CONGRESS Amit Malviya, head of the BJP IT cell, tweeted, “It is becoming increasingly clear that the Congress-led UPA systematically allowed forces opposed to the nation’s interests to infiltrate India’s institutions.” In response, the Congress Party called for an investigation into the situation. Senior Congress leader Ajay Maken raised concerns, stating, “Any form of foreign interference in our democratic or electoral processes is unacceptable and should be condemned, warranting a thorough investigation.” Sanyal questioned the sources and beneficiaries of the $21 million allocated for India. “I would love to know who received the $21 million aimed at improving ‘voter turnout in India’ and the $29 million intended to ‘strengthen the political landscape in Bangladesh’; not to mention the $29 million designated for ‘fiscal federalism’ in Nepal. USAID is the biggest scam in human history,” Sanyal remarked in a post on X. BJP’s Salve wondered if activists would seek a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into these funding activities, suggesting that the same scrutiny applied to business figures in the past should also extend to political figures. “I wonder if any activist will approach the Supreme Court for an S.I.T or court-monitored investigation, B.I.T, F.I.T, C.I.T, K.I.T, and pursue it as we have seen with business individuals whose reputations have been tarnished. Let’s focus on these individuals for a change.” Salve commended the Trump administration for addressing these matters transparently. “I am pleased that this government in Washington is publicly cleaning up this mess,” he commented. He expressed concern that if allegations of foreign interference and deep-state funding were true, it would be “deeply saddening” to discover potential connections between the Gandhi family and such funding.
ARNAB GOSWAMI Salve’s remarks align with WikiLeaks, a non-profit media organization known for its disclosures, which referenced Republic Media Network’s Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami for revealing USAID’s influence operations in India. According to WikiLeaks, USAID’s initiatives allegedly aimed at swaying Indian voter turnout and shaping the political scene. Arnab pointed out how “so-called journalists” might have profited from USAID’s financial backing, highlighting individuals connected to India’s political circles who reportedly received “free lunches” from the agency. Arnab also identified Sam Pitroda’s NGO, the Global Knowledge Initiative (GKI), as a significant player in the purported funding scheme. Pitroda, along with partners Nina Fedorov and Sarah Farley—both of whom have strong affiliations with global foundations and government agencies—was reportedly receiving substantial financial support from USAID and the Rockefeller Foundation.
