India has described the United States administration’s information regarding funding in India as “deeply troubling” and raised concerns over foreign interference in the country’s internal affairs.
During a weekly press briefing on Friday, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that the relevant departments and agencies were examining the matter.
“We have seen information that has been put out by the US administration regarding certain US 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,” Jaiswal said.
Asked about former US President Donald Trump’s remarks regarding a $21 million allocation for ‘voter turnout in India’, Jaiswal said it would be premature to make a public comment at this stage.
“Relevant authorities are looking into [it], and hopefully, we can come up with an update on that subsequently,” he added.
Speaking at the FII PRIORITY Summit in Miami, Florida, on Thursday, Trump questioned the necessity of the US allocating $21 million for voter turnout efforts in India, drawing a comparison to concerns about foreign interference in American elections.
“Twenty-one million dollars in voter turnout – why do we need to spend $21 million for 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 two thousand dollars in our country, it was a big deal. They took some internet ads for two thousand dollars. This is a total breakthrough.”
Trump also referenced India’s economic strength and trade policies, stating, “They got a lot of money. They’re 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.”
While maintaining his respect for India and its prime minister, Trump questioned the necessity of the funding, adding, “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 USD 500 million, didn’t we? It’s called the lockboxes.”
This follows an announcement by the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) regarding the cancellation of various US taxpayer-funded initiatives.
On February 16, DOGE, led by Elon Musk, posted a list of cancelled expenditures, including $21 million earmarked for ‘voter turnout in India’.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), DOGE highlighted the cancellation of multiple funding initiatives, including the ‘$21M for voter turnout in India’.
Also Read: Madonna Criticises Trump for Calling Himself “King of the World”
