As opposition parties intensify demands for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into allegations linking industrialist Gautam Adani to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP has sought to counter by spotlighting alleged connections between Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and left-leaning billionaire George Soros.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday labeled the purported ties between Sonia Gandhi and Soros as a “serious concern.” He urged that the matter be seen beyond a “political lens” and called for unity against “anti-India forces.”
“It is an important issue that I want to raise without politicizing it. The links between Sonia Gandhi and George Soros are serious. We do not want to give it a political spin,” Rijiju stated.
Allegations Against Sonia Gandhi
The BJP alleges that Sonia Gandhi’s past involvement as co-president of the Forum of Democratic Leaders in Asia Pacific (FDL-AP), an organization they claim supported Kashmir’s independence, demonstrates foreign influence in domestic affairs. They also point to partnerships between the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and entities linked to Soros as evidence of external meddling.
The ruling party argues that these associations undermine India’s sovereignty and accused Soros-backed organizations, including the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), of spreading anti-government narratives and defaming the Modi administration.
“Rahul Gandhi’s press conference on Adani was live-streamed by Soros-funded OCCRP, which Gandhi used to criticize Adani. This reflects their dangerous relationship and attempts to derail India’s economy,” said BJP MP Nishikant Dubey.
Opposition Hits Back
Opposition leaders dismissed the BJP’s claims as an attempt to deflect attention from the Adani-Modi nexus allegations. Congress MP Karti Chidambaram described the accusations as “dark fantasies” unworthy of serious discourse.
“These conspiracy theories belong in the dark web, not in democratic discussions. We stand for India’s sovereignty and unity,” Chidambaram stated.
RJD MP Manoj Jha criticized the BJP for focusing on unsubstantiated claims instead of addressing substantive issues. “When the government starts chasing conspiracy theories, it means they are hiding something. If they are serious, let them investigate,” Jha said.
Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav accused the BJP of habitual false allegations. “None of their claims have been proven so far,” he asserted.
OCCRP and International Reactions
The OCCRP, an investigative journalism platform partially funded by Soros, has faced accusations from the BJP of publishing destabilizing reports, including allegations against the Adani Group. However, the US government dismissed the claims as baseless.
