NEW DELHI: Congress leader Pawan Khera and BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya engaged in a war of words on X over US funding for voter turnout efforts in India.
The exchange was triggered by a post from the US Department of Global Engagement (DOGE), which listed cancelled funding initiatives, including a $21 million allocation for “voter turnout in India” under the “Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening.”
Amit Malviya, quoting DOGE’s post, claimed that the funding amounted to “external interference” in India’s electoral process. “$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 wrote on X.
Responding to Malviya, Congress leader Pawan Khera dismissed his concerns, pointing out that the alleged funding from USAID took place in 2012 when Congress was in power. “Someone tell this clown that in 2012, when ECI allegedly got this funding from USAID, the ruling party was Congress. So, by his logic: ▪️Ruling party (Congress) was sabotaging its own electoral prospects by getting this so-called ‘external interference’. ▪️And that the opposition (BJP) won the 2014 elections because of Soros/USAID,” Khera wrote on X.
The US DOGE’s post listed various cancelled funding allocations, including $486 million for election-related processes worldwide, with specific amounts directed toward Moldova, India, and other regions. The revelation sparked a political debate in India, with the BJP alleging foreign meddling and the Congress dismissing the claims as baseless.