‘USAID is the biggest scam’: PM Modi’s advisor Sanjeev Sanyal on DOGE’s $21M voter turnout claim

Sanjeev Sanyal, Member of the Economic Advisory Council to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has questioned the claim made by the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) regarding a canceled $21 million funding meant to improve voter turnout in India.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, Sanyal expressed skepticism over the expenditure, saying, "Would love to find out who received the US$21 million spent to improve voter turnout in India, the US$29 million for strengthening the political landscape in Bangladesh, and the US$20 million for fiscal federalism in Nepal. USAID is the biggest scam in human history."

BJP Leader Reacts

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Amit Malviya also raised concerns about the claim, calling it "external interference in India's electoral process." He questioned who benefited from the funding, asserting that "it certainly wasn’t the ruling party."

Malviya further pointed to a 2012 report about India’s Election Commission signing an MoU with The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) for election management. He also alleged that American investor George Soros has "significant influence" over India's electoral system, linking him to the Congress party and the Gandhi family.

What Did DOGE Claim?

DOGE, a newly formed U.S. government agency led by billionaire Elon Musk, announced on Saturday that it had canceled taxpayer-funded programs intended for foreign political initiatives.

In a post on X, DOGE stated that the following expenditures had been cut:

$21 million for voter turnout in India

$29 million to strengthen the political landscape in Bangladesh

$20 million for fiscal federalism in Nepal

No further details were provided about where the funds were previously allocated.

Musk’s Role in DOGE

Elon Musk was recently appointed by U.S. President Donald Trump to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a new body aimed at reducing wasteful spending. The agency has already announced major funding cuts, sparking global discussions about the transparency and influence of U.S. financial aid programs.