- By Nidhi Giri
- Mon, 17 Feb 2025 12:45 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Sanjeev Sanyal, an adviser to Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) the "biggest scam in human history" after the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by billionaire Elon Musk, claimed that it has cancelled US funds meant to influence "voter turnout in India". Meanwhile, DOGE’s claims were dismissed by SY Quraishi, a former chief election commissioner. Quraishi 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. Quraishi, headed the Election Commission of India during 2010-2012.
The DOGE in a post on X on Saturday announced cancelling many programmes costing hundreds of millions of taxpayers' dollars.
The department said, "US taxpayer dollars were going to be spent on the following items, all (of) which have been cancelled..." The list included USD 486 million in grants to the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening including USD 21 million for "voter turnout in India".
The 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.
The member of the Economic Advisory Council to PM Modi sought to know on Sunday who in India had received the USD 21 million funds.
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."
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. USAID is the biggest scam in human history. pic.twitter.com/ccVHcnzWSj
— Sanjeev Sanyal (@sanjeevsanyal) February 16, 2025
"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,” SY Quraishi said, terming the claims baseless, to news agency PTI.
"There was no financing or even promise of finance involved in MoU, forget X or Y amount," he said.
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.
(With Agency Inputs)