Samajwadi Party (SP) member in the Rajya Sabha Ramji Lal Suman on Monday demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that millions of dollars were sent to India as grants for enhancing “voter turnout” during elections in the country.
Mr. Suman questioned the intelligence agencies for not flagging the flow of foreign money in the country to intervene in the election process.
“American President Donald Trump has said multiple times that to increase voter turnout in India, we (U.S Agency for International Development) have given $2.1 crore. Finance Ministry says they have not received the money. External Affairs Minister says the matter is being probed. PM has not spoken a word. This is interference in our internal matter. The government’s silence adds to the suspicion,” Mr. Suman said.
Speaking during the Zero Hour in the upper House, Mr. Suman added, “What were our intelligence agencies doing? A foreign entity comes and intervenes in our election process. We do not know what happened? Everyone knows that Modiji is friends with Trump. The Bharatiya Janata Party should clarify, what is the matter? Their silence creates doubts. PM should come to the House and respond to the allegations. There is something fishy.”
Mr. Trump has on five occasions since February 16 claimed that the USAID under the Biden administration allocated $21 million to India for “voter turnout”. None of the claims have been substantiated so far.
Published – March 17, 2025 10:27 pm IST