Political Covid has infiltrated our society to destroy democracy: VP Dhankhar on USAID controversy
New Delhi, Feb 21 (PTI): Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday voiced concern over the alleged USAID funding for raising voter turnout in India, saying time has come to root out the "political Covid" which has infiltrated in our society to destroy the country's democracy.
He said all those involved in this "sinister activity, who benefited out of this structured pernicious strategy" must be shamed and brought to book and fully exposed.
"Time has come to thoroughly get into this malaise, this political Covid infiltrated in our society to destroy our democracy," he said.
Making almost identical remarks at two events here, Dhankhar said it was the "national duty" of people to strike hard at such forces.
Addressing an event in Miami on Thursday, US President Donald Trump once again questioned the USAID funding of USD 21 million for voter turnout in India, and said "I guess they were trying to get somebody else elected."
Dhankhar said the remarks on USAID funding came from a person of authority and that it was a fact that money was given.
Referring to Trump, he said the US President had claimed that fiscal muscle was used.
"Funds were pumped in to doctor and manipulate our democratic result. He has gone to the extent of saying I must give my thought on it, that someone else was sought to be elected. To elect is the right only of Indian people," the vice president said.
He said anyone doctoring or manipulating that process is undermining our democratic values, is subverting our democracy in the process, bringing us under servitude, subservience.
Urging people to be aware of attempt to tarnish constitutional institutions, Dhankhar said, "Our institutions are facing structured taint, a facet of wokeism. Our constitutional functionaries are sought to be ridiculed... Be it to institution of the President, of the Vice President, or the Prime Minister. These are not political posts, these are our institutions. People fail to show even minimum respect."
He said his heart bleeds when the president is "shamed, ridiculed, even when she performs her constitutional duty in the joint sitting of Parliament.
"Her tribal status becomes a cause of concern when the taint is put in public domain. A lady of sterling worth, track record of dedicated service, as a legislator, as a minister, as a governor and now president of India."
He was referring to Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's remarks on the president.
Calling for the use of "Chanakya niti" to get into the root of the controversy, he said the problem should be eradicated from its roots.
"People who allowed such kind of an attack (to allegedly damage the electoral purity) should be exposed," he said.
He also said delivering a body blow to such forces is the "national duty" of people.
Last week, the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by billionaire Elon Musk had announced a series of expenditure cuts, including USD 21 million allocated for "voter turnout in India."
The DOGE in a post on X on Saturday last announced cancelling many programmes costing hundreds of millions of taxpayers' dollars.
The department said, "US taxpayer dollars were going to be spent on the following items, all (of) which have been cancelled..."
The list included USD 486 million in grants to the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening, including USD 21 million for "voter turnout in India".
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TN Assembly elections: Eight-month pregnant homemaker wins Thiru Vi Ka Nagar seat for TVK
Chennai (PTI): Before giving birth, she had already delivered a mandate—a symbol of hope for Thiru Vi Ka Nagar.
Echoing Delhi’s 2013 “common citizen” political churn associated with the rise of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), an eight-month-pregnant homemaker, M R Pallavi, has been elected as an MLA from Chennai’s Thiru Vi Ka Nagar constituency, emerging as one of the notable first-time faces of the Vijay-led TVK in the recently held Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
In the narrow lanes of Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, a steady stream of media personnel has been making their way to Pallavi’s residence—a scene reminiscent of the result day in Delhi when journalists thronged the modest home of Rakhi Birla, who had won from Mangolpuri on an AAP ticket.
Pallavi, 36, a homemaker educated up to class XII, defeated the DMK candidate K S Ravichandran by a margin of 22,333 votes in the reserved Thiru Vi Ka Nagar Assembly constituency.
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam emerged as the single largest party by winning 108 seats, while DMK and AIADMK got 59 and 47, respectively.
Pallavi’s victory has drawn attention due to her personal circumstances. She campaigned extensively while eight months pregnant, going door-to-door to reach voters.
According to local accounts, she even fainted once during the campaign but continued her outreach.
She has not spoken to the media following her victory, as doctors have advised her to rest. Her husband, Rajesh, briefly recounted her campaign efforts.
A self-professed admirer of actor-turned-politician Vijay, Pallavi joined TVK soon after its formation and is now among its first-time legislators.
Doctors have advised her to be hospitalised around May 20, as she is expecting her second child. Ahead of that, voters in Thiru Vi Ka Nagar have entrusted her with representing them in the state Assembly.
Political observers say the rise of candidates like Pallavi signals a possible shift in Tamil Nadu’s political landscape, with voters backing a new party and candidates from non-traditional backgrounds.
