Elon Musk-led US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has cancelled a $21 million funding allocation aimed at boosting "voter turnout in India". This decision was announced on Saturday (Feb 15), local time.

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The official DOGE handle on X announced the cancellation of various US taxpayer-funded expenditures, including the notable $21 million allocation for "voter turnout in India".

"US taxpayer dollars were going to be spent on the following items, all of which have been cancelled," the Musk-led department announced.

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The cancelled funding was part of a larger list of expenditures scrapped by DOGE, which also included:

- $10M for "Mozambique voluntary medical male circumcision"
- $9.7M for UC Berkeley to develop "a cohort of Cambodian youth with enterprise driven skills"
- $2.3M for "strengthening independent voices in Cambodia"
- $32M to the Prague Civil Society Centre
- $40M for "gender equality and women empowerment hub"
- $14M for "improving public procurement" in Serbia
- $486M to the “Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening,” including $22M for "inclusive and participatory political process" in Moldova and $21M for voter turnout in India
- $29M to "strenghening political landscape in Bangladesh"
- $20M for "fiscal federalism" in Nepal
- $19M for "biodiversity conversation" in Nepal
- $1.5M for "voter confidence" in Liberia
- $14M for "social cohesion" in Mali
- $2.5M for "inclusive democracies in Southern Africa"
- $47M for "improving learning outcomes in Asia"
- $2M to develop "sustainable recycling models" to "increase socio-economic cohesion among marginalized communities of Kosovo Roma, Ashkali, and Egypt"

BJP responds

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The Bharatiya Janata Party labelled the now-cancelled $21 million funding for "voter turnout in India" as "external interference" in India's electoral process. 

BJP leader Amit Malviya criticised the initial funding allocation and alleged "systematic infiltration" of Indian institutions by foreign forces.

Also read: Indian PM Modi meets Elon Musk; ‘discussed space, mobility, technology and innovation’

"$21M for voter turnout? This definitely is external interference in India's electoral process. Who gains from this? Not the ruling party for sure!" his post on X read.

He also criticised billionaire investor and philanthropist George Soros, specifically targeting his alleged network of global influence through the Open Society Foundations. 

"Once again, it is George Soros, a known associate of the Congress party and the Gandhis, whose shadow looms over our electoral process," Malviya claimed.

He highlighted the 2012 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Election Commission of India and The International Foundation for Electoral Systems. This organisation has ties to George Soros' Open Society Foundation, which receives primary funding from USAID, the American federal agency overseeing foreign aid which is facing massive budget cuts under Donald Trump's presidency.

"Ironically, those questioning the transparent and inclusive process of appointing India's Election Commissioner-a first in our democracy, where previously the Prime Minister alone made the decision-had no hesitation in handing over the entire Election Commission of India to foreign operators," the BJP leader added.

Malviya claimed that the previous Congress-led UPA government "systematically enabled the infiltration of India's institutions by forces opposed to the nation's interests-those who seek to weaken India at every opportunity."

The BJP claims that foreign-funded civil society organisations and NGOs, especially those with ties to George Soros, are exerting influence over Indian politics.

(With inputs from agencies)