The United States Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, has cancelled a $21 million taxpayer-funded grant intended to influence voter turnout in India. The grant was allocated under former President Joe Biden’s administration as part of a larger $486 million budget under the “Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening.”
In its announcement, DOGE revealed that other overseas projects had also been terminated. These included $29 million designated for “strengthening the political landscape in Bangladesh,” a country that has faced political turmoil amid allegations of US involvement in the removal of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The department also cancelled $47 million for “improving learning outcomes in Asia,” $40 million for a “gender equality and women empowerment hub,” and $32 million to the Prague Civil Society Centre.
Other discontinued projects included $22 million to foster an “inclusive and participatory political process” in Moldova, $20 million for “fiscal federalism” in Nepal, $19 million for “biodiversity conservation” in Nepal, $14 million for “social cohesion” in Mali, and $14 million for “improving public procurement” in Serbia.
Additionally, $10 million for “Mozambique voluntary medical male circumcision,” $9.7 million for UC Berkeley to develop “a cohort of Cambodian youth with enterprise-driven skills,” $2.5 million for “inclusive democracies in Southern Africa,” and $2.3 million for “strengthening independent voices in Cambodia” were also axed.
Other projects affected by the cuts included $2 million to develop “sustainable recycling models” to “increase socio-economic cohesion among marginalised communities of Kosovo Roma, Ashkali, and Egypt,” $1.5 million for “voter confidence” in Liberia, and various other initiatives.
DOGE stated that these cancellations were part of efforts to improve government efficiency and ensure taxpayer dollars were not being spent on “questionable” overseas political activities.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) reacted to the decision, calling the now-cancelled funding an act of “external interference” in India’s electoral process.
BJP national spokesperson Amit Malviya questioned the purpose of the $21 million grant, stating, “$21M for voter turnout? This definitely is external interference in India’s electoral process. Who gains from this? Not the ruling party for sure!”
Malviya also alleged “systematic infiltration” of Indian institutions by foreign forces, naming billionaire investor and philanthropist George Soros and his Open Society Foundation. “Once again, it is George Soros, a known associate of the Congress party and the Gandhis, whose shadow looms over our electoral process,” he claimed.
Malviya further pointed to the 2012 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Election Commission of India and The International Foundation for Electoral Systems, an organisation linked to Soros’s Open Society Foundation and primarily funded by USAID.
He claimed that under the Congress-led UPA government, India’s institutions had been “systematically enabled” to be influenced by foreign interests.
The $29 million allocated for “strengthening the political landscape in Bangladesh” has also drawn attention. The announcement follows comments by President Donald Trump addressing allegations of US ‘deep state’ involvement in the recent political developments in Bangladesh.
When asked during a joint press briefing with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi about claims of regime change under the previous Biden administration, President Trump denied any such involvement.
“There was no role for our deep state. This is something the Prime Minister has been working on for a long time, for hundreds of years, frankly. I have been reading about it. I will leave Bangladesh to the Prime Minister,” President Trump said.
Despite this statement, speculation persists. The removal of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the rise of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus as interim leader have fuelled claims of US-backed political manoeuvring.
Since Hasina’s departure, diplomatic tensions between India and Bangladesh have escalated, with Delhi raising concerns over increasing attacks on religious minorities under the new regime.
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