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External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that the “country should know who the people are involved in” USAID row
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar calls USAID funding row “worrisome”. (Source: PTI)
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday for the first time spoke about the allegations levied by former US President Donald Trump against USAID’s $21 million funding for ‘voter turnout in India’.
The minister called the accusations “worrisome” and said that “if there’s something to it, then the country should know who the people are involved in it.”
While speaking at the Delhi University Literature Festival, EAM Jaishankar said, “Some information has been put out there by the Trump administration people, and obviously, that is concerning… I think, as a government, we’re looking into it. My sense is that the facts will come out…USAID was allowed here in good faith, to do good faith activities; now, suggestions are being laid out from America that there are activities which are in bad faith. It’s worrisome, and if there’s something to it, then the country should know who the people are involved in it.”
Trump on Friday spoke about the USAID funding row for the third time in a row at the Governor’s working session and said, “$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.”
Earlier, while underlining the funding sent to USAID for “voter turnout in India”, Trump had said that the Biden administration was trying to get someone else elected in India.
“$21 million for voter turnout, why do we need to spend $21 million for voter turnout in India? I guess they were trying to get somebody else elected,” said Trump.
Speaking about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States and his meeting with Trump, Jaishankar said that the meet signified the strengthening of bilateral ties.
“The Prime Minister was in the US and Washington. He was among the earliest world leaders to be invited by President Trump in his second term to meet with him. I’ve been doing this all my life, so I have some reference points and experiences as a comparative assessment. I would say with all objectivity, I thought it went very well and for a variety of reasons,” said the external affairs minister.
