Following US President Donald Trump’s repeated questioning of the allocation of USD 21 million for voter turnout in India, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has raised concerns, alleging that the money is being used to support “deep-state assets” in the country. The BJP has called for an investigation into the matter.
On Thursday, Trump reiterated his concerns about the US government’s financial contributions, including USD 21 million for voter turnout in India, which he referred to as a “kickback scheme.” He also criticized the USD 21 million allocated to strengthen Bangladesh’s political landscape and the USD 19 million for biodiversity in Nepal.
During a speech at the Republican Governors Association (RGA) meeting, Trump remarked, “USD 21 million for voter turnout in India. Why are we concerned about India’s turnout? We have enough problems ourselves. Imagine all that money going to India. What do they think when they receive it? It’s a kickback scheme… There’s no clarity on where the money is going.”
Trump also referenced other US funding initiatives, including USD 29 million for Bangladesh’s political landscape and USD 20 million for fiscal federalism in Nepal, emphasizing that these efforts are a waste given the challenges the US faces. He stated, “We terminated these kinds of programs. There are so many others I could list, but they are all terrible and frankly disgusting. We are draining the swamp.”
Reacting to Trump’s remarks, BJP leader Amit Malviya shared a video of Trump’s statement and accused the US funding of sustaining “deep-state assets” in India who work to protect such revelations. Malviya suggested the money is used to back certain individuals or groups in India who deflect or defend against these disclosures.
BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari further raised the issue and demanded an investigation to determine if Congress or Rahul Gandhi were recipients of the alleged “kickback scheme.” He posted on X (formerly Twitter), “Donald Trump has once again referred to the $21 million sent to India for voter turnout, calling it a ‘kickback scheme.’ An investigation is needed to determine if Rahul Gandhi and Congress benefited from it.”
The controversy intensified after the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, released a list of cancelled taxpayer-funded initiatives, including the USD 21 million earmarked for voter turnout in India. DOGE announced on February 16 that the funding intended for this purpose would be cancelled.
Earlier, on February 19, Trump had raised similar concerns about the USD 21 million in funding for voter turnout efforts in India. Speaking at the FII PRIORITY Summit in Miami, Trump remarked, “Why do we need to spend USD 21 million for voter turnout in India? We’re worried about Russia spending a small amount in our elections, yet we’re spending millions overseas.”
While Trump expressed respect for India and Prime Minister Modi, he questioned the need for such large expenditures on foreign elections, highlighting the contrast with domestic concerns. “I have a lot of respect for India and the Prime Minister, but why are we spending USD 21 million on voter turnout there when we’ve already spent USD 500 million here?” he asked.
