Trump calls 'voter turnout' grant kickback, India says probe is on
US President Donald Trump has claimed that a US$ 21 million grant for boosting “voter turnout” in India under the previous Biden administration was part of a “kickback” scheme, drawing a sharp response from the Indian government.
New Delhi:US President Donald Trump has claimed that a US$ 21 million grant for boosting “voter turnout” in India under the previous Biden administration was part of a “kickback” scheme, drawing a sharp response from the Indian government. Calling the revelations “deeply troubling,” India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday that the matter is being investigated by “relevant agencies,” amid concerns about foreign interference.
Speaking at the Republican Governors Association meeting in Washington, DC on Thursday, Trump questioned the rationale behind the US Agency for International Development (USAID) funding for India’s elections. “Why do we need to spend US$ 21 million for voter turnout in India? We’ve got enough problems of our own,” he remarked, adding that the unclear nature of such allocations “means there’s a kickback.”
This marks the third time in a week that the US President has raised doubts about the grant. In New Delhi, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the government is examining whether the funding was indeed directed to India or, as some reports suggest, to Bangladesh. “It would be premature to comment further until the full details are clear,” he added.
On Friday, media reports cited a BJP leader and lawyer calling for scrutiny of Veena Reddy, an American national who headed USAID in India from 2021 to 2024. She reportedly left the country shortly after last summer’s Lok Sabha elections.
The Trump administration has now canceled any future allocations for the contested programme. USAID, the principal American agency for overseas development assistance, had earmarked the US$ 21 million during the previous Biden administration. Both Indian and US officials are looking into allegations that the funds may have been used for “regime change” attempts, with India warning that “coercive or clandestine foreign meddling” will not be tolerated.
