"Usaid's biggest scation": Prime Minister's advisor after the demand for the "voters of India" funds

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The claim by the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by the world's richest man Elon Musk, that it has cancelled US funds meant to influence "voter turnout in India" has drawn the attention of an adviser to the Prime Minister, who has called the USAID agency the "biggest scam in human history".


The DOGE, tasked with finding out irregularities in US funding for humanitarian causes during the Biden administration, said a day earlier that it had cancelled funds allocated for projects in various countries. These included $21 million for "voter turnout in India", $29 million for "strengthening political landscape" in Bangladesh, and $20 million for "fiscal federalism" in Nepal.


United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the largest humanitarian arm of the US government, has been the top target of the DOGE, which is executing the Trump crackdown to cut federal spending.

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The DOGE claim on funds for India's "voter turnout" prompted the ruling BJP to flag "external interference" in the country's electoral process while a former chief election commissioner called it "baseless". The latest remark came from Sanjeev Sanyal, an adviser to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The member of the Economic Advisory Council to PM Modi sought to know on Sunday who in India had received the $21 million funds.


Describing USAID as the "biggest scam in human history", Mr Sanyal said he "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."

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Elon Musk's DOGE Flags $21 Million For "Voter Turnout In India", BJP Responds


His remarks followed an outright denial from SY Quraishi, who headed the Election Commission of India during 2010-2012. Mr Quarishi said, "The report in a section of media about an MoU by the ECI in 2012, when I was CEC, for funding of certain million dollars by a US agency for raising voter turnout in India does not have an iota of fact."


He pointed out that there was an MOU with the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) in 2012 for training facilities, like with many other agencies, but it did not involve any financing or promise of funds.

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The BJP yesterday sought to know who gained from the funds flagged by the DOGE with its national spokesperson Amit Malviya alleging a "systematic infiltration" of Indian institutions by foreign forces. He also targeted billionaire investor George Soros and his alleged network of global influence, saying that his shadow looms over India's electoral process.


"It is becoming increasingly evident that the Congress-led UPA systematically enabled the infiltration of India's institutions by forces opposed to the nation's interests-those who seek to weaken India at every opportunity," he had said.