BJP’s ‘bid to topple govt’ remark on Soros statement puerile: Chidambaram

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram in a series of tweets on Saturday (February 18) said BJP leaders’ labelling of billionaire George Soros’ remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi as an “attempt to topple the democratically elected government in India” was a puerile statement.

“The people of India will determine who will be in and who will be out of the government of India. I did not know that the Modi government was so feeble that it can be toppled by the stray statement of a 92 year old rich foreign national,” Chidambaram tweeted.

Chidambaram’s tweets came after the BJP reacted angrily to remarks made by Soros at the Munich Security Conference. The saffron party alleged that Soros was targeting the Indian democratic system so that people “hand-picked” by him get to run the government in India.

The people of India will determine who will be in and who will be out of the government of India

I did not know that the Modi government was so feeble that it can be toppled by the stray statement of a 92 year old rich foreign national

— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) February 18, 2023

“I did not agree with most of what George Soros had said in the past and I do not agree with most of what he says now. But to label his remarks as an attempt to topple the democratically elected government in India is a puerile statement,” Chidambaram noted.

“Govt policies have created oligopolies”

In another tweet, the former finance minister wrote, “Liberalisation was to usher in an open, competitive economy. The Modi government’s policies have created oligopolies.”

Liberalisation was to usher in an open, competitive economy. The Modi government's policies have created oligopolies

— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) February 18, 2023

His final tweet in the series went, “Ignore George Soros and listen to Nouriel Roubini. Roubini warned that India is ‘increasingly driven by large private conglomerates that can potentially hamper competition and kill new entrants.’”

Soros said at the Munich Security Conference that the turmoil engulfing industrialist Gautam Adani’s business empire may open the door to a “democratic revival” in India.

Also read: George Soros: The billionaire in the eye of storm over his remark on India, Modi

“Modi is silent on the subject, but he will have to answer questions from foreign investors and in parliament,” Soros said. “This will significantly weaken Modi’s stranglehold on India’s federal government and open the door to push for much-needed institutional reforms. I may be naive, but I expect a democratic revival in India,” he said.

The Congress on Friday said whether the Adani issue sparks a democratic revival in the country depends entirely on opposition parties and has nothing to do with Soros.

(With agency inputs)