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Kiren Rijiju has highlighted alleged links between Sonia Gandhi and businessman George Soros, calling them “serious” and urging unity against anti-India elements.
Kiren Rijiju/Sonia Gandhi (Photos: PTI)
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday said the alleged connections between Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and Hungarian-American businessman George Soros are “serious” and are in the public domain.
He also appealed to the citizens of the country to remain united against anti-India elements and said the government was ready for a discussion.
“The issue of George Soros was raised in the Parliament,” Riiju told reporters today.
“The report is in the public domain and there are serious allegations in it. Whoever the leader is from whichever party. I don’t want to name them. This Soros works against India,” Rijiju said.
“I only appeal to remain united against anti-India elements,” Rijiju said, adding, “The government is always ready for a discussion.”
WHAT IS THE CASE?
On December 8, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleged that Sonia Gandhi has links to an organisation financed by the George Soros Foundation which has backed the idea of Kashmir as an independent nation.
This association shows the influence of foreign entities in India’s internal affairs, the ruling party said in a series of posts on X.
Meanwhile, notwithstanding the US’ dismissal of BJP’s allegations that it is backing attempts to destabilise India, party MP Nishikant Dubey said he would pose 10 questions to Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha on the issue.
He said media portal Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and Hungarian-American businessmen have colluded with the opposition to ruin India’s economy and defame the Modi government.
THE BJP’s ALLEGATIONS
The BJP claimed that Sonia Gandhi, as the co-president of the Forum of the Democratic Leaders in Asia Pacific (FDL-AP) Foundation, is linked to an organisation financed by the George Soros Foundation.
“Notably, the FDL-AP Foundation has expressed their views that treat Kashmir as a separate entity,” the party said.
“This association between Sonia Gandhi and an organisation that has backed the idea of Kashmir as an independent nation expresses the influence of foreign entities on India’s internal affairs and the political impact of such connections,” it said.
The BJP further claimed that Sonia Gandhi’s chairmanship of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation led to a partnership with the George Soros Foundation, “displaying the influence of foreign funding on Indian organisations”.
“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,” it said.
The BJP’s allegations come after it claimed on Thursday that the US “deep state” colluded with OCCRP and Rahul Gandhi to damage India’s image.
