On Sunday, former Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi refuted claims made in a report suggesting that a US agency provided financial support to enhance voter engagement in India during his tenure. This comes at a time when the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) announced on Saturday its decision to cancel several programs, including a $21 million initiative aimed at 'increasing voter participation in India.' Notably, Elon Musk leads the DOGE.
What the Former Commissioner Said
Quraishi clarified that during his commissioner role in 2012, there was a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Election Commission and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), but it involved no financial aid or funding commitments. The MoU was purely for training purposes.
He further elucidated that the MoU explicitly declared that neither party would bear financial or legal responsibility and contained no mention of funding.
The Complete Story
Essentially, Elon Musk's DOGE announced on Sunday the US's decision to cut a $21 million program initially designed to increase voting percentages in India.
It's noteworthy that Donald Trump created a new department to minimize government spending. Known as DOGE, this department is methodically curbing expenses, and Trump appointed Tesla's Elon Musk as its head. Musk is meticulously reviewing every American expenditure globally and determining actions based on governmental policies.
Also Read: The US Halts $1.82 Billion Aid to India, with Musk Scrutinizing Every Expense at DOGE
BJP's Response
Reacting to the announcement, BJP's Amit Malviya stated that allocating $21 million to boost voter participation in India certainly constitutes foreign intervention in the electoral process. Who benefits from this? Certainly not the ruling party! Recently, Donald Trump credited DOGE for identifying several billion dollars in governmental savings. Speaking with journalists on February 11, Trump said, "We're talking about several billion dollars that we've already found. But you might be mentioning $500 billion, yes, that's a significant number indeed."
