External meddling? BJP slams DOGE's India voter turnout funding revelation

A claim by the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, that it has cancelled a US taxpayer-funded grant of $21 million for “voter turnout in India” has triggered a political storm in India. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has decried the funding as external interference, while a former chief election commissioner has refuted the claim.

DOGE's Expenditure Cut and India's Voter Turnout Funding

The US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), responsible for auditing and cutting wasteful expenditure, announced the cancellation of several programs, including $21 million allocated for "voter turnout in India". This allocation was part of a larger $486 million grant to the "Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening". DOGE, which was newly created, has been auditing multiple government agencies in the US and has been cutting wasteful expenditures.

Political Reactions and Allegations

The BJP has strongly criticized the funding, viewing it as an attempt to infiltrate Indian institutions. Amit Malviya, head of the BJP's IT department, suggested that the Congress-led UPA government enabled forces opposed to India's interests. Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Economic Advisory Council, went further, calling the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) "the biggest scam in human history" and expressing interest in knowing who received the funds.

Former CEC's Rebuttal and Clarification

Former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) S Y Quraishi has dismissed the reports of USAID funding as "completely false and malicious". Quraishi clarified that while there was an MoU with the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) in 2012, it was for training purposes and did not involve any financial commitment. He stated that the MoU explicitly stated that there would be no financial and legal obligation of any kind on either side.

USAID's Role and Historical Context

USAID, the primary humanitarian arm of the US government, has been a frequent target of DOGE, which is implementing measures to cut federal spending. The controversy has also drawn attention to alleged connections between IFES and George Soros's Open Society Foundation, further fueling the political debate.