Bid to rig polls: ED lens over USAID’s partners in crime in India

The Directorate of Enforcement, along with other security and financial agencies, has initiated preliminary steps to identify Indian entities and individuals who served as conduits for receiving the now-scrapped USAID’s $21 million to influence voter turnout in the country, official sources said on Saturday.

NGOs, social workers, media outlets and business entities are believed to be under the ED lens that is examining violation of money laundering regulations in the trans-national conspiracy, said sources.

The ED’s preliminary probe comes a day after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) indicated that action would be taken on information put out by the US administration about the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) meddling in Indian elections.

"Relevant departments and agencies are looking into this matter,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters in New Delhi during a media briefing on Friday.

Meanwhile, BJP social media head Amit Malviya has expressed doubts over internationally-funded events organised in India as the possible route for bringing in the dirty USAID money into the country.

He also pointed towards the Omidyar Network and George Soros’ Open Society Foundation – both part of USAID’s Finance and Investment Network - as possible players in the larger conspiracy to influence elections in India.

Malviya also indicated that the Indian security agencies had also pointed to the two entities’ alleged agenda of funding anti-government protests and unrests, like the ones witnessed in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh ahead of regime changes.

“Omidyar Network… funded an event in Chennai on August 12, 2024, and another in Delhi as recently as January 2025, despite Omidyar India’s website stating that it ceased operations in India effective December 31, 2024,” said Malviya in a post.

The BJP has also accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of involvement in the controversy by citing the proximity of the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha to American investor George Soros and US politician and India baiter Ilhan Omar.

BJP National Spokesman Gaurav Bhatia had called Gandhi a “traitor” on Friday accusing the Gandhi family of joining hands with foreign forces like Soros to oust Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly questioned the Biden administration's motive behind spending $21 million through the USAID to influence electoral outcomes in India.

"Why do we need to spend $21 million on voter turnout in India? I guess they were trying to get somebody else elected. We have got to tell the Indian Government... This is a total breakthrough," Trump said while speaking at the FII Priority Summit in Miami on Thursday, India time.

Earlier on Wednesday, Trump had backed the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) decision to cancel the $21 million funding for "voter turnout in India".

The Elon Musk-led DOGE had on February 16 announced the cancellation of the $21 million grant, outlining several foreign assistance programmes - the India voter turnout project topping the list - that had been deemed unnecessary or excessive.

The department had also listed several other countries where the US taxpayer dollars were going to be spent, all of which have now been cancelled.

It included $29M to "strengthening political landscape in Bangladesh" and $20M for "fiscal federalism" in Nepal.

Questions are also being raised about the role of USAID and other organisations in Bangladesh during the Biden period and its role in ousting the Awami League government led by Sheikh Hasina, last August. All USAID aid programmes in Bangladesh have now been suspended.