Nueva Delhi: A new Washington Post report has discredited Donald Trump’s statement that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) provided $ 21 million to India to increase voters participation. The report declared that such financing to India were not assigned, contradicting the accusations made by the president of the United States. On the other hand, the report clarifies that USAID had a $ 21 million contract for Bangladesh, not India, adding fuel to the ongoing political dispute between the Bharatiya Janata (BJP) party and Congress.
The president of the United States, who had previously hinted that the funds could have been used to interfere with the 2024 Lok Sabha elections without giving any evidence, took the name of the Prime Minister in his last comment. During his speech in the governors’ work session, Trump also criticized the financing of $ 29 million to a company to strengthen the political landscape in Bangladesh. “And $ 21 million going to my friend’s prime minister in India for the participation of voters. We are giving 21 million for the participation of voters in India. What about us? I want the participation of voters too,” Trump said.
The controversy broke out after the Doge platform led by Elon Musk said he had canceled a subsidy of $ 21 million that was allegedly destined to boost the participation of voters in India. Trump used this statement, which quickly gained traction in political circles, to suggest that the money of US taxpayers was being used to interfere with the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in India.
Cabolding the Washington Post report, Congress spokesman Pawan Khera launched an attack against the BJP, ridiculing the ruling party and their supporters for believing the accusations of financing.
“In this last exhibition on the so -called US funds to increase the participation of voters in India, the Washington Post discovers that such a program did not exist and that such financing did not occur. For the BJP and its blind followers, Crow is part of Your daily plan.
The BJP, on the other hand, has been on the offensive, accusing the leader of Congress, Rahul Gandhi, to seek foreign intervention to defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The party has not yet responded to the Washington Post report by dismissing the USAID financing claim.
What the Washington Post said report
According to the Washington Post, the false claim originated when Doge claimed that USAID had assigned $ 21 million to India as part of a broader payment of $ 486 million to the consortium for elections of political elections and processes (CEPPS), a coalition not Financed by Usaid of Usaid non -funded by Usaid Usaid of USAID Usaid of USAID. Gains working in democratic governance and electoral processes. However, the report, citing three officials familiar with American aid initiatives, declared that there was no program in India.
“We were all surprised to see that Doge statement. We do not know anything about elections in India because we have never been involved, “said a USAID official at Washington Post.
Another American official suggested that the Department of Musk could have misrepresented the numbers of other programs, saying: “They seem to be combining figures of unrelated initiatives.”
Despite these clarifications, Trump has doubled his statements, repeatedly questioning why American funds were supposedly spent on electoral participation in India. Earlier this week, he commented: “Why do we need to spend USD 21 million for electoral participation in India? I guess they (the administration Biden) were trying to make someone else choose. We have to tell the Indian government.”