Sonia Gandhi linked to organisation financed by George Soros Foundation: BJP

New Delhi, Dec 8 (PTI) The BJP on Sunday alleged that former Congress president Sonia Gandhi has links to an organisation financed by the George Soros Foundation and 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 businessman have colluded with the opposition to ruin India's economy and defame the Modi government.

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.

The US on Saturday rejected BJP's allegations that organisations funded by its State Department and elements in the American "deep state" were behind attempts to destabilise India through targeted attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and business tycoon Gautam Adani.

A spokesperson at the US embassy described the allegations as "disappointing" and asserted that the US government has been a champion of media freedom around the world.

Reacting to the US embassy's statement, BJP MP Dubey said, "Yesterday I read the statement of the US embassy officials again and again. They admitted that the US government funds OCCRP and Soros' foundation also funds it." The job of OCCRP and Soros is to ruin India's economy and defame the Modi government in connivance with opposition leaders, he said in his post on X in Hindi.

"After yesterday's statement, I will have to ask Rahul Gandhi my 10 questions in the Lok Sabha. The opposition is trying to suppress my voice in Parliament. Lok Sabha Rule 357 gives me the right to ask questions. Waiting for tomorrow," the MP said.

The BJP has cited Gandhi's use of OCCRP reports to attack the Adani Group and accuse it of having closeness with the government.

"It's disappointing that the ruling party in India would make these kinds of accusations," the US embassy spokesperson said on Saturday.

"The US government works with independent organisations on programming that supports professional development and capacity building training for journalists. This programming does not influence the editorial decisions or direction of these organisations," the official said.

OCCRP, headquartered in Amsterdam, is a media platform that largely focuses on stories relating to crime and corruption.

Last month, US prosecutors charged Adani, 62, his nephew Sagar and other defendants for paying over USD 250 million in bribes between 2020 and 2024 to Indian government officials to win solar energy contracts on terms that could potentially bring in more than USD 2 billion in profit. The Adani Group has dismissed the charges as "baseless".

The opposition Congress has accused the government of shielding the businessman and it is pressing for the setting up of a Joint Parliamentary Committee for a thorough investigation into the allegations. PTI