• By Ajeet Kumar
  • Sat, 22 Feb 2025 09:30 PM (IST)
  • Source:JND

New Delhi: Amid US President Donald Trump's repeated attack on alleged USAID disbursed to India, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday dubbed the information "concerning" and added the government is looking into the matter. Trump for the fourth time in recent days claimed that the Biden administration allocated USD 21 million in funding to India for “voter turnout”, evoking a sharp response from the Congress which urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to “talk to his friend” and strongly refute the allegation.

Responding to the allegations, Jaishankar, while addressing the Delhi University Literature Festival event in the national capital, said, "...Some information has been put out there by the Trump administration people, and obviously, that is concerning... I think, as a government, we're looking into it. My sense is that the facts will come out..."

 

"USAID was allowed here in good faith, to do good faith activities; now, suggestions are being laid out from America that there are activities which are in bad faith. It's worrisome, and if there's something to it, then the country should know who the people are involved in it," he added.

What Trump said 

In Washington, speaking at a 'Governors Working Session,' Trump said: “Twenty-one million dollars going to my friend Prime Minister Modi in India for voter turnout. We're giving 21 million for voter turnout in India. What about us? I want voter turnout too.” A video clipping from the event was posted on social media by the White House on Friday.

Trump also said that money went to strengthen the political landscape in Bangladesh to a firm that nobody ever heard of. “Got USD 29 million. They got a check. Can you imagine? You have a little firm, you get 10,000 here, 10,000 there, and then we get 29 million from the United States government.

“There are two people working in that firm... I think they're very happy, they're very rich. They'll be on the cover of a very good business magazine pretty soon for being great scammers. USD 20 million for fiscal federalism, USD 90 million for biodiversity in Nepal and USD 47 million for improving learning outcomes in Asia. Asia got a lot of money,” Trump said.

Political row in India

In New Delhi, reacting to Trump's remarks, the Congress demanded a comprehensive white paper on the funds that political parties, individuals, NGOs, and organisations received from developmental agencies, aid mechanisms and multilateral forums. “The white paper should not only focus on USAID funding, but all such agencies which fund both governments, individuals and all other entities under Indian law,” Congress' media and publicity department head Pawan Khera told a press conference.

(With inputs from agency)