US Stops USD 21 Million Funding for Indian Elections and Bangladesh Politics: The US government has revealed that it spent over $750 million of taxpayer money on different projects in other countries. This included $21 million for voter turnout in India and $29 million to support politics in Bangladesh. However, on Sunday, officials announced that all these funds had been cancelled.
Why This Matters
Many people are now questioning why the US was spending money on elections in other countries. Some believe US taxpayer money should not be used for foreign political activities.
Other Cancelled Projects
The US has also stopped funding several other international programs, such as:
$10 million for HIV prevention in Mozambique $2.3 million to support independent media in Cambodia $32 million for a civil society center in Prague $486 million for a global elections support program, including $22 million for Moldova $14 million to improve government transparency in Serbia $20 million for financial reforms in Nepal $1.5 million to boost voter confidence in Liberia The US government says these cuts will help refocus spending on more important priorities. But many are still debating whether such funding should have been approved in the first place.Who Benefits from This? BJP Questions US Funding
Amit Malviya from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has raised concerns about the US cutting funds. He posted on X, saying, "$21 million for voter turnout? This is definitely outside interference in India's elections. Who benefits from this? Not the ruling party, for sure!"
The funding cuts are part of DOGE’s plan to reduce government spending. However, the department has faced resistance in trying to access important systems like the Treasury payment system.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Elon Musk to discuss ways to work together in new technologies, entrepreneurship, and governance. Musk, who heads DOGE, attended the meeting with three of his children. India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) later issued a statement highlighting key topics like innovation, space exploration, artificial intelligence, and sustainable development.
PM Modi also spoke about India’s focus on reforms and his vision of 'Minimum Government, Maximum Governance.' He shared details of his meeting with Musk on X.
The MEA in its statement said, "The Prime Minister and Mr. Musk discussed strengthening ties between India and the US in areas like innovation, space, AI, and sustainable growth. They also explored ways to boost cooperation in new technologies, entrepreneurship, and governance."