New Delhi: Indian authorities are investigating “deeply troubling” revelations regarding U.S. government activities in the country, New Delhi announced on Friday, after President Donald Trump alleged that a U.S. agency had spent funds to influence Indian elections.

The statement from India’s foreign ministry follows Trump’s reference to documents released by DOGE, the department led by Elon Musk, which revealed that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) allocated $21 million for “voter turnout” efforts in India.

"We have seen information put out by the U.S. administration regarding certain USAID activities and funding. These are obviously very deeply troubling. This has led to concerns about foreign interference in India’s internal affairs," foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said during a weekly news briefing. He added that relevant departments and agencies are reviewing the matter.

USAID has yet to respond to inquiries about the allegations.

Trump’s Allegation Sparks Political Uproar

On February 16, DOGE published financial data on X (formerly Twitter) detailing USAID’s fund disbursements, including the $21 million allocation that Trump has since frozen.

“Why are we spending $21 million on voter turnout in India? Wow, $21 million. I guess they were trying to get somebody else elected,” Trump remarked during a Miami event, fueling a political storm in India.

His statement has intensified tensions between Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Congress, with both sides accusing each other of benefiting from foreign funds.

However, a Friday report by the Indian Express, citing official documents, claimed that the $21 million referenced by Trump was actually disbursed to Bangladesh, not India.