Washington Post Junks Trump’s $21 Million 'Voter Turnout' Claim On India, Congress Fires Fresh Salvo At BJP

Countering Donald Trump's claim that $21 million was provided to India for "voter turnout," The Washington Post has reported that there is no record of any such programme as alleged by the US President.

This revelation has given the Congress fresh ammunition to target the BJP. The American publication, in its report titled 'How a false DOGE claim ignited a political firestorm in India', stated that USAID had a $21 million contract for Bangladesh, according to officials from the organisation.

Photo Credit: PTI

The Washington Post report supports a similar article by The Indian Express, which asserted that India had not received any USAID funding for election-related projects since 2008. The Express article has been central to the ongoing political dispute between the BJP and the Congress.

Seizing upon the Washington Post report, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera stated that the "BJP and its blind supporters" would be forced to retract their words following the revelation. The BJP has accused Congress MP Rahul Gandhi of seeking foreign assistance to defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"In this latest expose on the so-called US funding to increase voter turnout in India, The Washington Post discovers that no such program existed and no such funding came in. For the BJP and its blind supporters, crow is part of their daily diet plan. Who else will eat crow following this comedy of errors?" Khera tweeted.

WHAT THE WASHINGTON POST REPORT SAID

The controversy arose after the Elon Musk-led DOGE claimed to have cancelled a $21 million grant to India intended to boost "voter turnout."

The $21 million allocation for India was reportedly part of a $486 million payment to the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS), a USAID-funded group of non-profit organisations.

However, the Washington Post, citing three individuals familiar with US aid initiatives, reported that no such programme existed in India.

"We were all shocked to see that claim from DOGE. We don't know anything about elections in India because we have never been involved," an official stated.

Another US official suggested that the Musk-led department was likely "conflating numbers" from different projects.

Adding fuel to the fire, Trump suggested earlier this week that the funds may have been used to interfere in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

"Why do we need to spend USD 21 million for voter turnout in India? I guess they (the Biden administration) were trying to get somebody else elected. We have got to tell the Indian government," the US President remarked.

He has since repeated the $21 million funding allegation multiple times, but without providing any supporting evidence.