The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday said the credibility and robustness of India's electoral machinery were “well-established facts globally”, responding to US President Donald Trump's praise for the country's election system while making a case for stricter voter identification requirements in the United States.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said he had no specific comment on Trump's remarks but underlined India's record in conducting elections at an enormous scale.
“I have no specific comment to make on the remarks. I can say, however, that the credibility and robustness of India's election machinery are well-established facts globally,” Jaiswal said during a media briefing.
Trump invoked India's electoral system and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar while renewing his push for the SAVE America Act, proposed legislation seeking tighter rules governing voter registration and identification in US federal elections.
The US President said Kumar had questioned how elections could be conducted in America without valid photo identification. Trump also referred to India's 2024 Lok Sabha election, in which more than 640 million voters participated, to support his argument for mandatory voter identification in the US.
Trump said India required voters to possess valid photo identity documents and highlighted the relatively limited use of postal voting in the country. He called on the US Congress to pass the SAVE America Act.
The proposed legislation seeks to require proof of US citizenship and valid identification for federal voter registration. The Trump administration has argued that such measures are necessary to ensure that only American citizens participate in federal elections.
US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor also backed Trump's remarks, pointing to the scale of India's electoral process and its voter identification requirements.
The comments came about a week after Kumar met Gor, with the two sides agreeing to deepen cooperation in areas including election management and the training of election personnel.
Trump has repeatedly pushed for stricter identification requirements in American elections. His latest intervention uses India's election system as an international example to support that campaign.
Trump's praise also triggered a political reaction in India, with Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera taking a swipe at the Chief Election Commissioner.
Khera sarcastically suggested that Trump should “take Gyanesh Kumar to America”, while also referring to electronic voting machines.
The remarks came against the backdrop of continuing political disputes in India over electoral rolls and the functioning of the Election Commission.
The MEA, however, avoided entering the domestic political debate or commenting directly on Trump's proposed changes to US election law, restricting its response to India's electoral record.
Its statement stressed that the credibility of India's election machinery and its ability to conduct elections on a vast scale were already recognised internationally.