Who is former USAID India chief Veena Reddy?

Who is former USAID India chief Veena Reddy?

Veena Reddy, an Andhra-born American diplomat, is a Foreign Service Officer with the USAID. Reddy is currently posted at USAID Cambodia’s Mission Director, and previously held posts in India, Pakistan, Haiti and Afghanistan, according to the official website of USAID.

She was the Mission Director for USAID India and Bhutan from 2021 to 2024.

Before working at USAID, Reddy worked as a corporate attorney in New York and Los Angeles. She is a member of the New York and California bars. She completed her Juris Doctor from Columbia University School of Law and an M.A. and B.A. from the University of Chicago.

The controversy erupted when Trump questioned USAID funding of US$ 21 million for “voter turnout” in India, alleging that the Joe Biden administration was trying to “get someone else elected,” leading to a war of words between the BJP and Congress.

The US government, however, has yet to elaborate on the issue and it is not clear what entity, if any, in India received this grant.

As reported by The Indian Express on Friday, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) had sanctioned a grant of $21 million for Bangladesh in 2022, of which $13.4 million has been disbursed already.