"USAID Was Allowed Here In Good Faith": S Jaishankar On Voter Turnout Fund

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has raised concerns over information from the US that millions of dollars were sent to India, allegedly to influence elections in India.

US President Donald Trump first raised the issue of alleged funding of $21 million for "voter turnout" in India, after he took over from former President Joe Biden.

"Your security can be threatened without you leaving your house because the thought processes, the influences, the narratives, your morale, your sense of what is right and wrong, are all influenced by your phone, what you read every day, the pictures you see," Mr Jaishankar said at the Delhi University Literature Festival.

"... I think some information has been put out there by the Trump administration people and obviously that is concerning," the External Affairs Minister said.

"It would suggest that there are activities which have a certain objective out there, to push a narrative or a viewpoint. As a government we are looking into it because such organisations have an obligation to report. And my sense is, the facts will come out," Mr Jaishankar said, alluding to the announcement by President Trump that the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) posted a list of cancelled US taxpayer-funded initiatives with a mention of $21 million earmarked for "voter turnout in India."

"Now, I read saying so-and-so dealt with USAID or so-and-so. Look, it's not a question of do you deal with USAID or not. USAID was allowed - has been here historically. But USAID was allowed here in good faith, to do good faith activities. Suggestions are being made out of America that there are activities which are in bad faith. So, it surely warrants a look," he said.

"And if there is something to it, I think the country should know who are the people involved in the bad faith activities," Mr Jaishankar said.

The External Affairs Minister's comments come on a day the BJP sought an investigation into the alleged US funding of $21 million for voter turnout in India and "kickbacks". The BJP alleged the money was used to sustain "deep state assets" in India.

Meanwhile, the Congress Party on Saturday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) issue and demanded a comprehensive “white paper” on the funds that political parties, individuals, NGOs, organisations received from developmental agencies, aid mechanisms and multilateral forums.

The grand old party also said that 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.

Earlier, the Congress stated that the “funds narrative” (funding of $21 million for increasing ‘voter turnout’ in India) was perpetrated by the BJP-led government to divert attention from its own sins of using foreign funds to destabilise the previous Congress governments.

The statement of the Congress came after the BJP hit out at Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi for allegedly acting as a “tool for foreign agencies” and aligning with global networks to undermine the country’s interests, in the wake US President Donald Trump’s admission to attempts by former US governments to influence elections in India.

Addressing a press conference, Congress’ Chairman of Media and Publicity Department Pawan Khera asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, its Ministers, its Economic Advisor, BJP’s IT Cell head and its ecosystem are desperately tying themselves in knots to somehow prove their allegation of ‘deep state’ and ‘foreign intervention’ with regards to ‘$21 million USAID funds narrative’.

Attacking the RSS and BJP, he said, “RSS-BJP and its ilk are habitual offenders in two aspects. Crafting fake narratives and propagating lies, and seeking external assistance to ‘destabalize the Indian States– our democracy and our Constitution.Yesterday, we already gave numerous examples on how RSS-BJP became pawns of foreign powers to unleash their anti-national agenda to discredit elected Congress governments has been dotted in history.”

“RSS-BJP and all their ecosystem actors making wild allegations to bolster their fake narrative against credible civil society members, NGOs, political parties, must not only be named and shamed on public forums, but legal action must also be taken against them for spreading lies and misleading the nation,” Khera said.

Taking a jibe at the Prime Minister, the Congress leader said, “Prime Minister Modi must talk to his friend, US President Trump and strongly refute the allegation on him that America was about to give $21 million to him and India for increasing voter turnout.”