The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday alleged that former Congress president Sonia Gandhi has ties to an organization financed by the George Soros Foundation, which has reportedly backed the notion of Kashmir as an independent nation. The ruling party claimed that this association highlights the influence of foreign entities on India’s internal affairs and questioned its impact on national politics.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju termed the allegations “serious” and “concerning,” stating, “If powers outside India are trying to defy India and fight against it, then there are serious concerns.” Rijiju’s comments came ahead of the Winter Session of Parliament, where the BJP plans to address the issue.
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey announced his intention to pose 10 questions to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha, accusing him and the Opposition of collaborating with the George Soros-funded Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) to defame India’s government and economy. Dubey said OCCRP and Soros are working to destabilize India in connivance with Opposition leaders, citing Rahul Gandhi’s reliance on OCCRP reports to criticize the Adani Group.
The BJP alleged that Sonia Gandhi, as co-president of the Forum of the Democratic Leaders in Asia Pacific (FDL-AP) Foundation, is linked to an organization financed by the George Soros Foundation, which it claims has supported the idea of Kashmir as a separate entity. The party also accused the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, chaired by Sonia Gandhi, of partnering with the Soros Foundation, raising concerns over foreign funding’s influence on Indian organizations.
Further, the BJP highlighted that Congress MP Shashi Tharoor had publicly acknowledged George Soros as an “old friend.” It also pointed to Rahul Gandhi’s press conference on Adani, which was live-streamed by OCCRP, as evidence of what it described as a “dangerous relationship” between the Congress party and Soros-linked organizations.
The allegations follow BJP’s earlier claims that elements in the US “deep state” and OCCRP are working to tarnish India’s global image. The US embassy dismissed these accusations as “disappointing,” stating that the US government supports media freedom and does not influence the editorial direction of independent organizations.
OCCRP, headquartered in Amsterdam, is a media platform focused on crime and corruption stories. Despite the US embassy’s clarification, BJP leaders remain adamant about pursuing the matter in Parliament, emphasizing concerns over foreign influence in Indian politics and governance.
