New Delhi

Following US President Donald Trump’s repeated comments on the alleged USD 21 million US funding aimed at boosting voter turnout in India, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar expressed his shock on Friday, stating that the revelations suggested an attempt to "modulate" and "manipulate" India's democratic process.

"... Recently, this revelation came to light, and I was stunned to see it. What has been revealed by the President of the United States, with full sense of responsibility, is that the democratic process of this country was sought to be modulated, manipulated. To taint and damage the purity of our election system. I am certain this stems from someone in authority. One thing is clear, and it is factual – the amount was given, and it is not a small amount," Dhankhar remarked while speaking at the second Global Conference of Meditation at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.

He stressed the need for a thorough investigation: "We must get to the roots of it. It must be eradicated at the source. We must uncover who accepted this kind of interference. We must expose them..."

On Thursday, Trump once again questioned the US government’s allocation of USD 21 million for voter turnout in India, labelling it a "kickback scheme". He also referenced USD 21 million allocated for strengthening Bangladesh's political landscape and USD 19 million for biodiversity efforts in Nepal.

Speaking at the Republican Governors Association (RGA) meeting, Trump stated, "And USD 21 million for voter turnout in India. Why are we caring about India’s turnout? We have enough problems here. We want our own turnout, don’t we? Can you imagine all that money going to India? I wonder what they think when they get it. Now, it’s a kickback scheme. You know, it’s not like they get it and they spend it; they kick it back to the people who send it. I would say in many cases, any time you have no idea what we're talking about, it means there's a kickback because nobody knows what’s going on there."

Trump also mentioned the USD 29 million allocated to strengthen Bangladesh’s political landscape and the USD 20 million for fiscal federalism in Nepal, adding, "What the hell do I care about? We’ve got enough problems. All of this is terminated. We terminated this stuff, and we’re on track."

Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia took the opportunity to accuse Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of seeking support from "anti-India forces" in his attempts to undermine Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He cited Trump’s allegations regarding the misuse of US aid funds in India's electoral process.

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"Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, has taken an oath to preserve the integrity and sovereignty of India, but he is indulging in anti-India activities. He is acting as a stimulus for foreign forces to interfere in our country’s electoral process. He is seeking support from foreign forces to defeat PM Modi," Bhatia said.

He added, "Not only are they after PM Modi, but they also want to destroy our country's democracy. India today, under PM Modi's leadership, has become a global leader, and Rahul Gandhi cannot tolerate that."