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The Congress party strongly rubbished the allegations made by the Bharatiya over party's alleged links with billionaire George Soros, calling them "baseless" and a "diversion" from the ongoing Adani controversy.
Speaking to ANI, party spokesperson Supriya Shrinate questioned the Centre that if Soros is indeed promoting "anti-India agenda," why the government has failed to act against it. Shrinate pointed out the BJP's alleged connections to Soros-backed initiatives, including Capital Float. She also claimed India's financial contributions to Soros' global projects and lashed out at the government's lack of action on the issue. The Congress leader responded to claims that Congress and its leadership were linked to Soros by questioning the government's inaction against him. "The BJP has been attacking using George Soros's name and even linking Sonia Gandhi to him. If George Soros is allegedly running an anti-India agenda, why has the government allowed him to operate? Why haven't you shut down his businesses or activities? Why haven't you taken action against him?" she asked. Highlighting alleged links of BJP to Soros-backed initiatives, Shrinate pointed out connections between Capital Float, a fund linked to Soros, and BJP leaders. "One of the founders of Capital Float, Shashank Rishishring, is married to the granddaughter of a prominent BJP leader. They attend each other's events and meetings. If Soros's agenda is anti-national, why has his fund been operating freely? Why hasn't the government banned it?" she asked. Shrinate also noted that Soros's Open Society Foundations funds around 68 projects globally, including some in India. "India has contributed USD 900,000 to these projects over the last 8-10 years. If Soros is involved in anti-national activities, why has the Indian government not raised objections with the US or taken legal action?" she further questioned. The Congress leader also accused the BJP of using the Soros issue as a "smokescreen" to divert attention from the Adani issue. "This selective targeting of George Soros is nothing but a smokescreen to shield Adani. Instead of holding press conferences, why hasn't the government taken concrete action? The fact is, the BJP is trying to divert attention from Adani's issues by sensationalising the Soros connection," Shrinate said. Shrinate also criticised the "partisan behavior" in Parliament, particularly in the Rajya Sabha. She added that Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, is not allowed to speak and that several terms like 'Adani' are being erased from records. "This selective behavior seems deliberate, especially against leaders from marginalised communities who have risen to prominent positions. When opposition members bring up Adani's name, the ruling party blocks discussions under Rule 267 but allows BJP members to speak freely," she said. Shrinate defended Rahul Gandhi's right to question the government inside and outside Parliament. "If the ruling party obstructs Parliament, questions will be raised outside it. Engaging in symbolic protests is a legitimate way to draw public attention to critical issues. Even Atal Bihari Vajpayee protested on a bullock cart in his time," she said. Amid the growing discussions over the leadership question within the INDIA bloc, Shrinate praised the "growing strength" of the grand alliance. "The more we press on Adani, the more the government panics. Congress, with its pan-India presence, is a natural leader within the alliance," she said. This comes after the BJP launched a scathing attack on the Congress party alleging 'links' between the party and George Soros who have a "shared goal of diminishing India's growth." BJP claimed that Sonia Gandhi, "as the Co-President of the FDL-AP Foundation" is linked to an organisation financed by the George Soros Foundation. Meanwhile, the controversy around George Soros has been a major point of contention between BJP and the Congress Party during the ongoing winter session of the Parliament. Earlier in the day, BJP President JP Nadda attacked Congress in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, questioning its alleged ties to George Soros amid ongoing Opposition protests. "Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project is one of the organizations that is being tried to destabilize the government. We all know that the reports which were released by OCCRP, and the opposition leaders have raised those issues in the House. The Opposition leaders trying to bring instability in the country. I want to ask what is the relationship between George Soros and Congress," Nadda asked. Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi refuted the allegations, calling them the "most ridiculous thing" the ruling party has come up with. She alleged that BJP is 'scared' to discuss the Adani issue. "It is the most ridiculous thing they could come up with. They are talking about some 1994 thing; no one has any record of it. No one knows what they are talking about. The only reason they are doing this is because they don't want to discuss the Adani issue.," she said. (ANI)
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