The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday claimed that senior Congress leader and former party president Sonia Gandhi has links to an organisation financed by the George Soros Foundation.

The saffron party also targetted Rahul Gandhi and claimed that George Soros and Rahul Gandhi have same sentiments regarding the ‘Adani issue’.

In a series of posts on X, the official handle of the saffron party said 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. 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,” reads the post.

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”.

“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.

“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 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.

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.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) targeted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, with one lawmaker attempting to link the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha with US billionaire George Soros and another calling him a ‘traitor.’ The Congress registered protests over the remarks accusing the BJP of using ‘slanderous’ language against Gandhi.

“Imported agenda, local delivery! RaGa-Soros Ek Hain!” the BJP said in a post on X alongside a portrait showing one half of George Soros and the other half of Rahul Gandhi.

In the Parliament, BJP leader Nishikant Dubey questioned Congress’ ties with individuals associated with the Soros Foundation and foreign figures who have criticised India.

Dubey, the BJP MP, sought to know if Gandhi had connections with forces trying to ‘derail’ India’s growth trajectory.

“Was Salil Shetty not in Bharat Jodo Yatra? Is he not an employee of the Soros Foundation? Did they not meet Ilhan Omar, Barbara Lee, or Ro Khanna, who wrote a letter in America asking to boycott the PM and not address him in Parliament? Don’t they want to create Khalistan and divide Kashmir? They meet all the elements in foreign countries who want to break India. Didn’t they meet Amartya Sen or Harsh Mander who were in NAC, who are all associated with the Soros Foundation?” he asked.

The Winter Session of Parliament$265 million schemeAdani Group US billionaire financier-philanthropist George Soros. These comments come after the 92-year-old Soros said the conglomerate’s troubles would “significantly weaken Modi’s stranglehold on India’s federal government”. The BJP countered that Soros wanted to “destroy” Indian democracy and wanted some “hand-picked” people to run the government.

Several Opposition leaders highlighted Soros’ remarks to take a swipe at the ruling party.

Earlier in the day, BJP Rajya Sabha member Sudhanshu Trivedi alleged there was a concerted effort by “foreign hands” to derail the Viksit Bharat (developed India) agenda. 

Sambit Patra launched a scathing attack on Rahul Gandhi, calling him the “traitor of the highest order.” Patra alleged that Gandhi was part of a “triangle” with billionaire George Soros and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) aimed at destabilising India. Patra alleged that Rahul Gandhi and George Soros shared a common goal of destabilising India.

Congress Protests

The comments from the treasury benches triggered protests in the Parliament, with Congress party members jumping into the well of the House, shouting slogans and demanding an apology from Dubey for his comments.

Congress MP Manickam Tagore wrote to Birla, expressing deep concern over Patra using “slanderous language” against Gandhi and sought stringent action against him. Tagore alleged that Patra’s conduct was a “clear violation” of the decorum and ethics expected of a Member of Parliament (MP).