The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) reacted strongly to a claim made by a US government department, led by Elon Musk’s DOGE, that they canceled a $21 million grant meant to help increase voter turnout in India.
Sanjeev Sanyal, a top adviser to Prime Minister Modi, questioned the trustworthiness of the USAID, the organization responsible for foreign aid, calling it “the biggest scam in human history.” He expressed a desire to know who got the $21 million for improving voter turnout in India, along with other similar funds allocated to Bangladesh and Nepal.
The U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) claimed in a post that taxpayer dollars planned for several international projects, including the one for India, have been canceled. BJP leader Nalin Kohli raised concerns about foreign agencies interfering in India’s elections, stating that India is a strong democracy and can hold its own fair elections. He pointed out past instances where other political parties like Congress had worked with foreign organizations to influence elections.
BJP MP Mahesh Jethmalani insisted that Indian authorities should investigate the money and identify anyone involved in influencing the country’s democracy, suggesting that they should face the law for undermining India.
SY Quraishi, a former Chief Election Commissioner, commented that while there was a past agreement for training, there were no funds involved. Amit Malviya from the BJP reiterated that the $21 million grant was unwanted interference in India’s electoral system
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