$21mn USAID for voters in India never existed: Congressman Gregory Meeks
'The President claimed there was a wasteful $21 million dollar grant to India. That grant never existed,' said Meeks in a speech that slammed Trump's cuts to foreign assistance spending.
Meeks, who belongs to the Democratic Party, is the senior most opposition lawmaker on the influential Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives, America's lower house.
Earlier this year, President Trump repeatedly claimed that the United States Agency for International Development spent $21 million dollars on a grant to boost voter turnout in India.
'And $21 million going to my friend Prime Minister Modi in India for voter turnout. We're giving 21 million for voter turnout in India. What about us? I want voter turnout too,' Trump said on one occasion. Trump also insinuated that USAID attempting to sway election outcomes in India.
Trump's statement stoked a political controversy in India even as India's Foreign Ministry said it was looking into the 'deeply troubling' allegations.
'We have seen media reports regarding the alleged allocation of US funds for election-related activities in India. This is deeply troubling and all relevant government agencies are examining the matter. India takes its sovereignty and electoral integrity very seriously,' said Randhir Jaiswal, official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, on the matter.
'It's worrisome. If there's something to it, then the country should know. We will investigate the matter thoroughly and, if necessary, ensure transparency. India's elections are for Indians, and we have zero tolerance for foreign influence of any kind,' said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in February this year.
However, it was unclear even at the time whether any grant funds had actually been disbursed to Indian organisations. Reports in the US media stated that the $21 million grant had been destined for Bangladesh, which was also going into a national election, and not for India.
Meeks' statement on Saturday directly contradicts President Trump's assertions on the matter.
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