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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We received request; will decide soon whether to support TVK: Thirumavalavan
Chennai (PTI): VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan on Thursday said that his party received a request from TVK for support and the high-level committee of his party will decide whether to support the Vijay-led party to form the government.
The TVK won 108 seats in the 234-member Assembly and emerged as the single largest party. Vijay will have to resign from one of the two constituencies he has won.
Though the Congress party, which has five MLAs, has extended support to TVK, the actor-politician-led party was still short of as many seats to touch the magic number of 118, the majority mark in the 234-member House.
"We received the request letter from TVK. We are thankful for that. We have not ignored his (Vijay's) request. We have a procedure. Therefore, our party's high-level committee will decide soon. We are going to discuss the merits and demerits of our position," the VCK leader told reporters here.
With regard to the delay in the governor's call to the TVK, which is the single largest party, to form the government, Thirumavalavan requested the governor to invite Vijay to form the government. "It is a constitutional right and people's verdict," he added.
Asserting that the governor cannot say that Vijay should hold 118 MLAs' support now itself to form the government, he said that after taking over power, Vijay has to prove an absolute majority only on the floor of the Assembly.
VIDEO | Chennai: VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan (@thirumaofficial) says, “The Governor has no right to ask Vijay to prove his numbers or absolute majority of 118 before inviting him to form the government. He should first assume charge as Chief Minister, as it is the people’s… pic.twitter.com/sok3faXWBT
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 7, 2026
