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Union Minister Kiren Rijiju today claimed that the alleged connections between Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and Hungarian-American businessman George Soros are a "serious" concern. Mr Rijiju said that such matters should not be viewed through a "political lens" and urged a united front against "anti-India forces."
"It is an important issue that I want to raise without doing politics over it. The links between Sonia Gandhi and George Sores are serious. We do not want to see it by giving a political spin," he said.
The BJP has alleged that Sonia Gandhi has ties with organisations financed by George Soros's foundation. The ruling party claims that these entities have supported controversial stances, such as treating Kashmir as a separate entity.
The BJP claimed Sonia Gandhi's past role as co-president of the Forum of Democratic Leaders in Asia Pacific (FDL-AP) Foundation, which allegedly shared views favouring Kashmir's independence, is a matter of concern. Additionally, the party pointed to partnerships between the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and Soros-linked organisations as evidence of foreign influence in domestic affairs.
"We want to run parliament. I want to clarify that some issues are politically driven but if powers outside India are trying to defy India and fight against India then there are serious concerns," Mr Rijiju said.
Mr Rijiju dismissed any intention to interfere in Congress's internal politics but noted that questions about Rahul Gandhi's leadership were being raised within the INDIA alliance.
"If Rahul Gandhi is not able to lead the INDIA bloc then it is their internal matter but we have heard that they are not on the same page," he claimed.
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey yesterday announced plans to confront Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in Parliament with 10 questions about these alleged ties. Mr Dubey accused Soros and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) of working with opposition leaders to harm India's economy and defame Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.
The BJP raised the issue in Parliament today, however, Rajya Sabha chairman and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar said that there will not be any discussion on it
"I have received 11 notices under Rule 267. I have decided not to admit them. Notices have been given to raise the issue of a rising threat to national security due to alleged nexus between a political party and some international organisations working against India," Mr Dhankar said.
Opposition Reaction
Opposition leaders have rejected the BJP's allegations. Congress MP Karti Chidambaram dismissed the BJP's allegations, terming them "dark fantasies" that should be confined to the "dark web".
"These deep state theories should be confined to the dark web and not serious political discourse," Mr Chidambaram told News Agency. "People have dark, morbid fantasies and they can continue to have them, and there will be no credence given to all these conspiracy theories. "We are always for the sovereignty and unity of India. We are patriots, we are nationalists and we are doing nothing that is against the integrity of India."
Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav dismissed the accusations as a routine tactic by the BJP, stating, "It has become a habit of BJP to make false allegations. None of their allegations have turned out to be true till date."
RJD MP Manoj Jha said that the BJP, instead of looking at conspiracy theories, should start probing the allegations.
"When the government and its top leadership started to look into conspiracy theories, it means there is something that they want to hide. You are in the government, get things investigated," he said.
OCCRP And US Involvement
The BJP's allegations have also drawn attention to the OCCRP, an investigative journalism platform partly funded by George Soros's foundation. The party claims the OCCRP is involved in disseminating reports aimed at destabilisng India, such as allegations against the Adani Group.
"Rahul Gandhi's press conference on Adani was live telecast by George Soros-funded OCCRP, which Gandhi used as a source to criticise Adani. It shows nothing but their strong and dangerous relationship and highlights their attempts to derail the Indian economy. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has publicly acknowledged George Soros as an 'old friend'. It's something truly noteworthy," the BJP alleged.
The US government dismissed the BJP's accusations, with a spokesperson from the US embassy describing them as "disappointing", as reported by news agency PTI. The spokesperson clarified that US funding supports independent journalism but does not influence editorial decisions. BJP leaders, however, insist that the US "deep state" and Soros-funded organisations are colluding with the Opposition to weaken India's economic and political stability.