New Delhi, 21 February 2025— The government is expected to investigate groups that received funding from USAID and other foreign entities, focusing on potential foreign interference in Indian elections. The probe may also examine whether such funding violated the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), sources said.
The move follows disclosures by Elon Musk-led DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) that USAID allocated $21 million to India’s Election Commission, allegedly to boost voter turnout.
BJP Rajya Sabha MP Mahesh Jethmalani raised concerns on X, stating, “DOGE has discovered that USAID allocated $21 million for voter turnout in India, a euphemism for paying voters to cast their votes to effect regime change.”
He also claimed that Veena Reddy, who headed USAID’s India mission from 2021, returned to the US after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, avoiding potential questioning by Indian agencies.
Former Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi confirmed an understanding between the Election Commission and USAID but maintained it did not involve funding, contradicting DOGE’s claims.
The disclosure has fueled debate over the transparency of USAID’s operations, aligning with concerns voiced by economist Sanjeev Sanyal, who previously called USAID the “biggest scam in human history.”
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, speaking in Parliament earlier this month, alleged that USAID had funded organisations in India to incite unrest. He claimed these groups protested against the Agniveer initiative, supported caste census demands, and even backed Naxalism.
Dubey also noted that former US President Donald Trump shut down USAID, arguing it was “spending money only to make different governments across the world collapse.”
