VP Jagdeep Dhankhar urges exposure of those behind attack on democracy

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday voiced concern over the alleged USAID funding for raising voter turnout in India, saying people who allowed such an attack on the country's democratic values should be exposed.

He also said that it was the "national duty" of people to strike at such forces.

Addressing an event in Miami on Thursday, US President Donald Trump once again questioned the USAID funding of USD 21 million for voter turnout in India, and said "I guess they were trying to get somebody else elected".

Speaking at an event on meditation here, Dhankhar said the remarks on USAID funding came from a person of authority and that it was a fact that money was given.

Calling for the use of "Chanakya niti" to get into the root of the controversy, he said the problem should be eradicated from its roots.

"People who allowed such kind of an attack (to allegedly damage the electoral purity) should be exposed," he said.

He also said delivering a body blow to such forces is the "national duty" of people.

Last week, the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by billionaire Elon Musk had announced a series of expenditure cuts, including USD 21 million allocated for "voter turnout in India."  The DOGE in a post on X on Saturday last announced cancelling many programmes costing hundreds of millions of taxpayers' dollars.

The department said, "US taxpayer dollars were going to be spent on the following items, all (of) which have been cancelled..."  The list included USD 486 million in grants to the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening, including USD 21 million for "voter turnout in India".