United States President Donald Trump on Friday repeated his allegations that $21 million in funding was given by the United States Agency for International Development for “voter turnout” in India, claiming that this money went to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

His statements come amid a row between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress, with both parties accusing the other of being the beneficiary of the purported funding.

At an event on Friday, Trump questioned why substantial amounts were being sent abroad when they could be used to support the American economy.

“And $21 million going to my friend Prime Minister [Narendra] Modi in India for voter turnout,” Trump said. “We’re giving $21 million for voter turnout in India. What about us? I want voter turnout too.”

On February 16, the Department of Government Efficiency under Trump’s administration announced that it had cancelled several international aid initiatives through USAID “costing taxpayers’ dollars”.

USAID is an independent agency that is mainly responsible for administering foreign aid and development assistance on behalf of the US government. Trump had on January 24 imposed a 90-day freeze on money distributed by the organisation pending a review by the US State Department.

The list of initiatives for which funding was revoked on February 16 included $486 million in grants to the nonprofit organisation Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS), including an alleged grant of $21 million “for voter turnout” in India.

The consortium comprises three organisations – the National Democratic Institute, the International Republican Institute and The International Foundation for Electoral Systems – that support elections and political transitions globally. It is funded by the USAID Global Elections and Political Transitions Program.

The Department of Government Efficiency, led by Trump’s senior adviser and billionaire Elon Musk, has not provided further details, including who was allegedly meant to receive the money.

On Wednesday, however, Trump said he “guessed” that the previous administration in the US was “trying to get somebody else elected” in India by having allegedly provided $21 million for voter turnout.

“What do we need to spend $21 million on voter turnout in India?” Trump asked. “I guess they were trying to get somebody else elected.”

He added: “We need to tell the Indian government because when we hear that Russia was trying to spend two dollars in our country, it was a big deal, right? They [Russia] took some internet ads for 2,000 dollars. This is a total breakthrough.”

Trump did not mention when the alleged disbursement of funds took place and did not provide evidence to back his claims.

His comments came a day after he defended his administration’s decision to cancel the funds.

On Thursday, the BJP claimed that Trump’s comments had “confirmed” foreign attempts to influence the Indian electoral processes.

“[Trump’s claim] is a reaffirmation of Prime Minister Modi’s assertion during the 2024 campaign that foreign powers were trying to stop him from coming to power,” the BJP’s publicity chief Amit Malviya said on social media.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had “aligned himself with global networks seeking to undermine India’s strategic and geopolitical interests, acting as a tool for foreign agencies”, Malviya claimed.

The Congress, however, dismissed Trump’s remarks, calling them “nonsensical”. The Opposition party demanded a white paper on USAID’s financial support to government and non-governmental organisations in India.

On Friday, The Indian Express reported that the US government’s alleged $21 million funding was meant for Bangladesh, not India.

The report added that no CEPPS project had been funded by the USAID in India since 2008. Every US federal grant is linked to a specific “place of performance”, or the country where it is meant to be spent.

On Saturday, Malviya noted that Trump had reiterated his claims for the third day in a row about USAID funding to promote “voter turnout” in India. “But what does he know about his own country’s spending?” the BJP leader asked. “The Indian Express and the deranged Left think they know better!”