Heated exchanges and disruptions marred the Winter Session of Parliament on Thursday after the BJP raised allegations of a supposed link between Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and US billionaire George Soros. The issue led to repeated adjournments throughout the day in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey opened the debate in the Lok Sabha, questioning an alleged connection between Sonia Gandhi and George Soros.

“Soros came to India in 2004 and 2009. He took a 5% stake in BSE. He earned money from the Indian share market from 2010 to 2014. He met the Gandhi family. What is the relationship between Soros and the Gandhi family?” Dubey asked.

In the Rajya Sabha, BJP president and Leader of the House JP Nadda reiterated the claims, demanding answers from the Congress. Nadda accused Soros of funding efforts to destabilize the Modi government, with the Congress allegedly acting as a “puppet.”

“The country wants to know what is Sonia Gandhi’s relationship with Soros,” Nadda said.

Govt vs Opposition:

As Nadda was speaking, Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge was allowed to comment upon, creating a chaotic scene in the Rajya Sabha. Kharge dismissed the allegations as the art of diverting attention.

“They want to distract the issue,” commented Kharge.

Despite repeated efforts to restore order, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar adjourned the Rajya Sabha till 2 pm. Lok Sabha also underwent its share of disruptions after a series of adjournments.

In addition to the Soros debate, Nadda criticized Kharge for comments made against Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar. Referring to the Opposition’s no-confidence motion against Dhankhar, Nadda defended the Chair’s decisions as “beyond question.”

“Criticising or questioning the Chairman’s rulings constitutes contempt of the House and disrespect towards the Chair,” Nadda said. He also condemned Kharge’s remarks at a press conference, calling them “objectionable” and a “wrong precedent.”

Background of the controversy:

The controversy stems from the BJP’s claims that Sonia Gandhi is linked to an organization funded by the George Soros Foundation. According to the BJP, Soros, accused of funding anti-India operations, especially on Kashmir, controlled Indian internal matters through such sponsorships.

While the BJP is demanding answers, the Opposition headed by Congress is brushing aside allegations that it perceives as baseless and aimed at diverting attention from more pressing matters.