'Why are we giving $21 million to India?': Donald Trump backs DOGE move of scrapping 'voter turnout' fund
Washington/IBNS: US President Donald Trump has backed the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)'s decision to scrap the financial aid which was allocated to improve the voter turnout in India.
Addressing the media, Trump said, "Why are we giving $21 million to India? They got a lot more money. They are one of the highest taxing countries in the world in terms of us, we can hardly get in there because their tariffs are so high.
"I have a lot of respect for India and the Prime Minister, but giving $21 million for voter turnout? In India? What about like voter turnout here?"
DOGE, which is helmed by billionaire Elon Musk, has cancelled a $21 million US taxpayer-funded grant, initiated by former President Joe Biden's administration to influence "voter turnout in India."
In its announcement, DOGE stated the $21 million was part of a larger $486 million budget allocated to the "Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening."
Another $29 million was slated for "strengthening the political landscape in Bangladesh" - a country that witnessed political turmoil amid allegations of US 'deep state' involvement in the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
US taxpayer dollars were going to be spent on the following items, all which have been cancelled:
— Department of Government Efficiency (@DOGE) February 15, 2025
- $10M for "Mozambique voluntary medical male circumcision"
- $9.7M for UC Berkeley to develop "a cohort of Cambodian youth with enterprise driven skills"
- $2.3M for "strengthening…
Several other funding for countries from Asia and Africa have also faced similar fate.
The sweeping cancellations were part of efforts to improve government efficiency and ensure taxpayer dollars were not being spent on "questionable" overseas political activities, DOGE stated.
IBNS
Senior Staff Reporter at Northeast Herald, covering news from Tripura and Northeast India.
Related Articles
From Kabaddi to Courtroom: Three Indian-origin men sent to prison over violence during 2023 UK kabaddi event
Three Indian-origin men have been arrested and jailed in the UK for their involvement in violent disorder during a kabaddi tournament in Derby in England’s East Midlands region in 2023.
Burnt to death: 7-year-old girl killed as BNP leader’s house set on fire in Bangladesh
A seven-year-old girl was burnt to death and three others were injured after the house of a Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader—allegedly locked from the outside—was set on fire in Bangladesh’s Lakshmipur district early Sunday, media reports said.
No evidence of blasphemy by Hindu man lynched in Bangladesh: Probe
Investigators probing the brutal lynching of Dipu Chandra Das, a 25-year-old Hindu man killed in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh district over alleged blasphemy, have found no evidence that he made any remark hurting religious sentiments.
South Africa hit by second mass shooting this month; 10 dead
At least 10 people were killed and another 10 injured in a mass shooting in Bekkersdal, a township outside Johannesburg, South African police said on Sunday. The attack marks the second mass shooting in the country this month, according to AFP.
Latest News
From Kabaddi to Courtroom: Three Indian-origin men sent to prison over violence during 2023 UK kabaddi event
Obesity cannot be treated with shortcuts: Jitendra Singh
Burnt to death: 7-year-old girl killed as BNP leader’s house set on fire in Bangladesh
‘Stricter punishment for insulting faiths’: Revanth Reddy announces new law
