Congress demands white paper on past USAID funding in India

Congress’ demand comes amid an ongoing controversy that the U.S. government aid agency had been funding campaigns to increase voter turnout in India. President Donald Trump had questioned USAID’s alleged expenditure of $21 million for ‘voter turnout’ in India

The Congress on Thursday (February 20, 2025) demanded that the Union government bring out a white paper on USAID funding of both government and non-governmental institutions in India over the past decades.

The Opposition party’s demand comes amid an ongoing controversy that the U.S. government aid agency had been funding campaigns to increase voter turnout in India. On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump had questioned USAID’s alleged expenditure of $21 million for “voter turnout” in India, saying, “I guess they were trying to get somebody else elected.”

In a post on X, Congress communication chief Jairam Ramesh rejected Mr. Trump’s claims, which implied USAID interference in Indian elections, terming them as “nonsensical”.

Also read | USAID funding row: Rahul acting as ‘tool for foreign agencies’ to undermine India’s interest, says BJP

“USAID is very much in the news these days. It was set up on November 3, 1961. Claims being made by the U.S. President are typically nonsensical to say the least,” Mr. Ramesh said. “Even so, the Government of India should bring out a White Paper at the earliest detailing USAID’s support to both governmental and non-governmental institutions in India over the decades,” he added.

The U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by billionaire Elon Musk, which is engaging in an overhaul of the U.S. administration, has effectively shut down USAID operations across the world. On February 16, DOGE listed items on which “U.S. taxpayer dollars were going to be spent” which Mr. Musk said are being cancelled. The list included “USD 21M for voter turnout in India”.