Trump’s $21 Million funding claim fact-checked: USAID grant was for Bangladesh, not India
New Delhi: In a recent controversy, former US President Donald Trump alleged that USAID provided a $21 million grant to influence voter turnout in India. However, a fact-check by The Indian Express has revealed that the grant was actually intended for Bangladesh, not India.
According to records accessed by The Indian Express, the funding was sanctioned in 2022 to support political and civic engagement in Bangladesh, particularly among university students participating in protests ahead of the January 2024 elections. Of the $21 million, $13.4 million has already been disbursed.
The grants were issued through the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS), which specializes in democracy, rights, and governance programs. While Trump’s claims suggested the funds targeted India, records show there has been no USAID-funded CEPPS project in India since 2008.
The grant, formally designated as Federal Award Number 72038822LA00001, was approved for Bangladesh’s ‘Amar Vote Amar’ (My Vote is Mine) program, later renamed the ‘Nagorik (Citizen) Program.’ The initiative aimed to promote youth democratic leadership and civic engagement across university campuses.
A USAID advisor in Dhaka confirmed the funding’s purpose via social media, clarifying that the grant had been allocated to three organizations: the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), the International Republican Institute (IRI), and the National Democratic Institute (NDI).
Despite the controversy, officials confirmed that no such funding was allocated to India, debunking Trump’s claims of alleged interference in India’s electoral process.
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7 held for running fake call centre in South Kolkata
Kolkata (PTI): Seven people were arrested from the Parnashree area in the southern part of the city for allegedly running a fake call centre, a police officer said on Saturday.
Acting on a tip-off, police raided a house on Netaji Subhas Road on Friday night and found the fake call centre operating from the ground floor, he said.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused had set up a bogus company using forged documents and posed as employees of an antivirus firm to call citizens in the US, the officer said.
"The callers would gain the trust of victims and then use remote access to take control of their phones or other digital devices. The accused allegedly siphoned off large sums of money, running into millions of dollars, from victims' accounts," he said.
Five laptops, two WiFi routers, six mobile phones and four headsets were seized from the accused, he said, adding that the seven are being questioned to ascertain the full extent of the racket and to identify others involved.
