The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused former Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Sunday of having ties with an organization allegedly funded by the George Soros Foundation,  claiming the group reportedly supports the idea of an independent Kashmir. The BJP's claims were shared in a series of posts on X, stirring controversy and raising concerns about foreign influence over India's internal affairs.

The ruling party alleged Sonia Gandhi, in her role as co-president of the Forum of the Democratic Leaders in Asia Pacific (FDL-AP) Foundation, was affiliated to an organization funded by Soros's foundation. This foundation, according to BJP, has earlier “expressed views treating Kashmir as a separate entity.” 

“This association between Sonia Gandhi and an organization that has supported 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,” the BJP alleged.

The party also drew attention to the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, headed by Sonia Gandhi, accusing it of having collaborated with the Soros Foundation, representing “the influence of foreign funding on Indian organizations.”

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey stated that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s criticism of the Adani Group relied on reports from the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP)—an investigative platform reportedly funded by Soros.

[Source- India Today]

“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,” the BJP claimed.

Dubey also stated that he will raise questions in Parliament for Rahul Gandhi. “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... Waiting for tomorrow,” he wrote on X.

The BJP also referred to an earlier statement by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor when he described George Soros as an "old friend."

The BJP’s accusations followed its earlier claims that the US “deep state”—a term often used to describe powerful non-elected groups—colluded with OCCRP and Rahul Gandhi to damage India’s reputation.

Responding to these claims, a US embassy spokesperson dismissed the allegations as “disappointing,” asserting that the US government champions media freedom globally.

“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.

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, however, was unconvinced. Referring to the US statement, he said, “They admitted that the US government funds OCCRP, and Soros's foundation also funds it.” He accused OCCRP and Soros of attempting to “ruin India's economy and defame the Modi government in connivance with opposition leaders.”

[Source- India Today]

The BJP's allegations come amidst growing pressure from the Congress on the government over recent corruption claims involving the Adani Group. The opposition has demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to investigate accusations of bribes paid to Indian officials for solar energy contracts. The Adani Group has dismissed these allegations as "baseless."

What is OCCRP?

OCCRP is an Amsterdam-based investigative media platform focused on crime and corruption around the world. Its reports have featured repeatedly in Congress's attacks on the BJP-led government, especially on the Adani Group.

The political storm generated by these claims points out the war of words between the ruling BJP and the Congress, with foreign connections, funding, and media narratives at the heart of the debate.