A political firestorm has erupted in India after U.S. President Donald Trump disclosed last week that USAID received $21 million to influence voter turnout in the Lok Sabha elections, suggesting the agency was attempting to engineer a regime change.
Trump’s remarks follow recent spending cuts announced by the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by billionaire Elon Musk, which included slashing $21 million earmarked for “voter turnout in India.”
After Trump’s statement, BJP MP Mahesh Jethmalani took to X, highlighting that Veena Reddy was appointed as the head of USAID’s India mission in 2021 and returned to the U.S. following the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
“So #DOGE has discovered that #USAID allocated $21 million for ‘voter turnout’ in India—a euphemism for paying voters to influence regime change. #VeenaReddy was sent to India in 2021 (ominous?) as head of USAID’s India mission. Post-#LokSabhaElections2024 (presumably after completing her voter turnout mission), she returned to the U.S. A pity, because investigative agencies here could have questioned her about where this money went and how it was used for voter turnout operations,” Jethmalani posted on X.
He further alleged that Reddy closely collaborated with U.S. Ambassador Eric Garcetti to advance the agency’s objectives.
Who is Veena Reddy, the Woman at the Center of the Funding Controversy?
Veena Reddy, an Andhra Pradesh-born American diplomat, served as USAID’s Mission Director for India and Bhutan from August 2021 to July 2024. She was the first Indian-American to lead the agency’s operations in these countries.
On July 17, 2024, Reddy announced her return to the United States, just over a month after India’s general elections concluded. A career member of the U.S. Senior Foreign Service, she has an extensive background in international development.
Before her tenure in India, Reddy held leadership roles in USAID missions in Cambodia, Haiti, and Pakistan, focusing on economic development, governance, and humanitarian aid. She holds a Juris Doctor degree from Columbia University School of Law and both a Master of Arts and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Chicago. Prior to joining USAID, she worked as a corporate attorney in New York, London, and Los Angeles.
During her three-year tenure in India, USAID collaborated with several Indian government agencies, including NITI Aayog, the Ministry of Power, Indian Railways, and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. USAID-backed programs also emphasized economic development, human rights, and governance reforms.
Political Fallout
Trump’s revelation has triggered a heated political battle, with the BJP and Congress exchanging accusations over the implications of USAID’s funding.
BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad linked Trump’s remarks to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s 2023 statements, accusing him of seeking international intervention in India’s democracy. In response, Congress dismissed Trump’s claims as “nonsensical” and demanded a white paper detailing USAID’s financial support to Indian institutions over the years.
