'We're patriots...': Congress refutes BJP's 'Sonia-Soros' allegations
What's the story
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has raised an alarm over alleged connections between Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and Hungarian-American businessman George Soros.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju called these links a "serious" issue, urging people to unite against "anti-India forces."
The BJP has highlighted Gandhi's past association with the Forum of Democratic Leaders in Asia Pacific (FDL-AP) Foundation and Rajiv Gandhi Foundation with Soros-linked organizations' partnerships as possible proof of foreign influence.
Parliamentary confrontation
BJP MP to question Congress leader on alleged ties
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey has announced plans to confront Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Parliament over these alleged connections.
Dubey accused Soros and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) of working with opposition leaders to undermine India's economy.
However, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar has refused to admit notices for discussion on this issue.
Rejection
Opposition leaders dismiss BJP's allegations
Opposition leaders have rubbished the BJP's allegations.
Congress MP Karti Chidambaram called them "dark fantasies" unfit for serious discourse.
Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav said the accusations were a routine tactic of the BJP, while Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Manoj Jha said the government should investigate instead of focusing on conspiracy theories.
Media scrutiny
BJP's allegations draw attention to OCCRP
The BJP's allegations have also brought the OCCRP, an investigative journalism platform partly funded by Soros's foundation, into the limelight.
The party alleges that the OCCRP spreads reports to destabilize India, like the allegations against the Adani Group.
However, these accusations were rubbished by a spokesperson from the US embassy who clarified that US funding supports independent journalism but doesn't influence editorial decisions.
Ongoing protests
Congress demands discussions on Adani's US indictment
Amid these allegations, the Congress continues to demand discussions on Gautam Adani's indictment in the United States.
Notably, Parliament sessions have been disrupted due to protests from both sides.
Rijiju emphasized that issues like the alleged Congress-Soros link should not be politicized but addressed seriously if related to anti-India forces.