USAID crackdown may strain India-US relations

The revelation by the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) that it had cancelled $21 million (Rs 178 crore) to be spent for “voter turnout in India” has raised concerns about its potential impact on India-US relations.

US foots bill for deportation flights

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Military planes carrying deported Indian nationals from the US to Amritsar are operated at US expense and India is not bearing any costs for the flights. Sources confirmed that the US is funding the entire operation, a practice that has been in place for decades in case of deportation flights. Upon landing, the planes are refueled in Amritsar, in line with the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement signed between both nations, allowing the countries to use each other’s facilities for refuelling.

DOGE, led by Elon Musk, cancelled USAID funds intended to influence voter turnout, following claims that several YouTube influencers were trained to create election-related content. The unfolding of events are being watched keenly in New Delhi as the funding had come from USAID, which is under fire from the DOGE in the US.

Both the BJP and Congress have accused each other of benefiting from the USAID initiative. Sanjeev Sanyal, member, Economic Advisory Council to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, called USAID as the ‘biggest scam in human history’ and demanded to know who received the $21 million funds.

BJP’s Amit Malviya called the funding an “external interference” in India’s elections, questioning the beneficiaries. “USD 21M for voter turnout? This definitely is external interference. Who gains from this? Not the ruling party for sure!” he posted on X.

Congress leader Pawan Khera responded, pointing out that it was the Congress party in power when USAID funding allegedly began in 2012, challenging Malviya’s claims. He asked, “Why would Congress sabotage its own prospects, especially since BJP won in 2014?”

In a post on X, former CEC SY Quraishi, said: “The report in a section of media about an MoU by the EC in 2012, when I was CEC, for funding of certain million dollars by a US agency for raising voter turnout in India does not have an iota of fact.”