USAID pushing narrative concerning, should know people involved: Jaishankar

New Delhi: The information on the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) involvement in election-related funding is “concerning” and the country should know if any people were linked to “bad faith activities”, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday.

Jaishankar, who was speaking at the Delhi University Literature Festival, was referring to remarks by the US leadership about the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) cancelling allocations of hundreds of millions of dollars by USAID around the world, including $21 million for “voter turnout in India”.

“I think some information has been put out there by the Trump administration people, and obviously, that is concerning. It would suggest there are activities which have a certain objective to push a narrative or a viewpoint,” he said.

Noting that USAID was allowed into India “in good faith, to do good faith activities”, Jaishankar said there is a need to examine the information released by the US administration.

“Now, suggestions are being made out of America that there are activities which are in bad faith. It surely warrants a look. If there is something to it, the country should know who are the people involved in the bad faith activities,” he said.

The government is looking into the matter because “such organisations have an obligation to report and my sense is that the facts will come out”, he said.

The external affairs ministry said on Friday that the government is looking into reports of USAID funding election-related activities since the matter is “deeply troubling” as it relates to foreign interference in internal affairs.

The political row over the revelations has intensified, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Congress trading allegations.

US President Donald Trump, whose administration has launched an unprecedented crackdown on USAID as part of efforts to slash government spending and jobs, has repeatedly brought up the reported funding for India in public comments this week.

Trump raised it for the fourth time in recent days while addressing a gathering of governors of US states at the White House on Friday, talking about “$21 million going to my friend, Prime Minister Modi, in India for voter turnout”.

He added, “We’re giving $21 million for voter turnout in India. What about us? I want voter turnout too.”

Trump has also suggested the money was meant for kickbacks, though the US administration has provided no details or information about such accusations.

While speaking on USAID’s activities, Jaishankar said there is a need to expand the concept of security in an era of technology, since efforts are being made to influence thought processes and set narratives through NGOs and global rankings.

Jaishankar contended there is a “globalisation mafia”, comprising unelected people who believe they should decide good and bad and create norms and rules, and this has had a “huge domination” on thought processes and economic issues over the past three decades.

He also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the US for his first meeting with Trump in his second term had gone well.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a very strong nationalist and he sort of radiates that. Trump is an American nationalist, and I think, in many ways, nationalists kind of respect each other. They are very clear eyed, they’re in it for their country,” Jaishankar said.

“I would say with all objectivity, I thought [the meeting] went very well and for a variety of reasons.”

Jaishankar added, “Trump, being somewhat unusual, there are a lot of other leaders in the world with whom he has not necessarily a positive history. In the case of Modiji, it’s not the case, he had a great visit.”