Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah Thursday urged the Election Commission (EC) to clarify reports that allege that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) allocated USD 21 million (Rs 182 crore) to boost voter turnout in India.
Speaking to reporters during an event, Abdullah opposed any foreign involvement in India's electoral process.
"Such interference should not take place. As of now, there is no evidence to suggest foreign meddling. The Election Commission must clarify whether any such intervention has occurred, as we have always believed our elections to be free and fair," he said.
His remarks come after US President Donald Trump questioned the necessity of such expenditure and suggested that the Biden administration may have sought to influence India's electoral process.
“...And USD 21 million for voter turnout in India. Why do we need to spend USD 21 million for voter turnout in India? Wow, I guess they (the Biden administration) were trying to get somebody else elected. We have got to tell the Indian Government," Trump said.
Former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) S.Y. Quraishi earlier dismissed claims of foreign funding influencing India's electoral participation.
In a post on X, he clarified that the Election Commission of India (ECI) had signed a 2012 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) for training purposes and it involved no financial transactions.
"There was an MoU with IFES in 2012, like with several other agencies, to facilitate training at ECI’s resource centre, IDEM, which was newly established at the time. No financial commitments or promises were involved," Quraishi wrote, calling reports suggesting otherwise "false and malicious."
The Congress Thursday demanded that the Centre release a white paper detailing USAID’s financial support to governmental and non-governmental organisations in India, while dismissing Trump's comments as "typically nonsensical."
“USAID is very much in the news these days. It was set up on November 3, 1961. Claims being made by the US President are typically nonsensical to say the least. Even so, the Govt of India should bring out a White Paper at the earliest detailing USAID’s support to both governmental and non-governmental institutions in India over the decades,” Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said.
Trinamul Congress (TMC) MP Saket Gokhale earlier highlighted that the Modi government’s 2016 demonetisation drive had ties to the USAID.
In a post on X, Gokhale claimed that USAID collaborated with the Indian government to promote cashless transactions in 2016, launching an initiative with the Union ministry of finance just a month before demonetisation was announced.
The controversy intensified earlier this week when Elon Musk alleged that a US government-funded project under the Biden administration had directed around ₹182 crore towards increasing voter turnout in India.
The US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by billionaire Elon Musk, recently announced cuts to various expenditures, including the Rs 182 crore purportedly allocated for India's voter turnout.
His statement prompted BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya to accuse the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) of benefiting from external funding during its tenure.
“$486 million went to the ‘Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening,’ including $22 million for ‘inclusive and participatory political process’ in Moldova and $21 million for voter turnout in India. External interference in India’s elections? Who benefits? Certainly not the ruling party,” Malviya wrote on X.
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera rejected the claim, arguing that if the ECI had received such funding in 2012, when Congress was in power, it would mean the party had worked against its own electoral interests, as the BJP won the 2014 elections.
The Election Commission has yet to issue a formal response on the matter.
