BJP intensifies attack over Cong links to Soros, Oppn hits back
The government and the Opposition traded barbs involving five-letter words on Monday, both names of billionaire businessmen either side sought to link to the top leader of the other side of Lok Sabha
The government and the Opposition traded barbs involving five-letter words on Monday, both names of billionaire businessmen either side sought to link to the top leader of the other side of Lok Sabha.

Thus, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday upped the ante in its allegations of links between the Congress and the “anti-India” George Soros Foundation, the Congress-led Opposition continued its ongoing tirade against the Adani Group, triggering fresh disruptions that put a question mark on the remaining two weeks of the winter session.
Demanding a debate on the “issue of national security” in Parliament, BJP leaders raised allegations linked to US billionaire George Soros in both Houses, leading to a logjam that resulted in adjournments. The BJP accused former Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi of working with the United States’ “deep state”, a charge that was refuted by the US government and threatens to escalate into a diplomatic row.
On a day marred by protests and confrontation between the government and the Opposition, the Congress and other INDIA bloc parties also indicated that they’re planning to push a motion under Article 67 of the Constitution – it deals with the removal of the Vice President– in the Rajya Sabha, describing a move that is unlikely to succeed but whose political aim would be to challenge to the BJP.
A senior Congress leader said that all Opposition parties have in principle agreed to bring a motion under Article 67 but no timeline has been fixed for the same. To be sure, the Opposition has hinted at doing this in previous sessions, but refrained from following through.
BJP lawmaker Nishikant Dubey, who first levelled allegations linked to Soros last week, told HT that he wanted a joint parliamentary committee to probe how the Gandhi family and the Congress’ agenda was dictated by Soros and other anti-India elements. “I am demanding a JPC to look into these issues. I have documentary evidence to prove my claims. This is a very serious issue.”
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh maintained that “the George Soros issue has been created to divert from the Adani issue. The Chairman (of Rajya Sabha) himself has raised the farmers’ issues...”
For the first six days of this session, Parliament was rocked by the controversy kicked up due to a criminal indictment filed by the US Department of Justice (DoJ) and a civil complaint by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York against the Adani Group chairman and seven executives of his vast conglomerate.
The allegation is that the Solar Energy Corp of India entered into an agreement with the Adani Group to buy solar power at a certain price that it would then sell to the states, but that because it had agreed to buy the power at a high rate, no state was willing to sign a Power Sales Agreement (PSA) with it. Adani, the prosecutors allege, incentivised the states to sign the agreement. The Adani Group has already dismissed the charges as baseless.
“This government is murdering Parliament. They are scared because they do not have the answers to issues affecting common people. BJP and the govt are misusing high constitutional offices and making them subservient to executive power. The Opposition do not have the numbers in Rajya Sabha, but this is a fight against all those who want to ruin our parliamentary system,” said Sagarika Ghose, Trinamool Congress’s deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha.
Union parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju told media persons that some issues shouldn’t be seen with a political lens.
“George Soros and his links -- that have come to light -- we do not see it as an issue relating to the Congress party, Rahul Gandhi. We should take the issue seriously -- if it is related to anti-India forces. We do not see this as party politics... We have told Congress and other parties that we will discuss the Constitution on December 13 and 14 (in Lok Sabha) and on December 16 and 17 (in Rajya Sabha). I want to appeal to the leaders of the Congress party and its workers that if even their leaders are found to have links with anti-India forces, they also should raise their voices and we should be united and fight unitedly against anti-India forces,” said Rijiju as he posted industrialist Gautam Adani’s pictures with Robert Vadra and Congress leaders.
The 12th day of the winter session saw Opposition MPs, including Rahul Gandhi, hold a protest over the Adani matter, at the Parliament premises.
In the Rajya Sabha, five lawmakers, three from the BJP and two from its allies, gave notices under Rule 267 to suspend the day’s business and take up the issue of Congress’s links with the Soros Foundation. To be sure, this is not the first time that the party has accused the Congress of collaborating with forces outside India to malign the Indian government and drive a negative narrative. In June last year, the BJP accused Rahul Gandhi of “hobnobbing with people with suspicious credentials” during his US visit and sought to link the Congress with Soros. The BJP alleged Soros worked to “destabilise the democratically elected Indian government.”
On Monday, chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar refused to admit any notices under Rule 267, and said BJP’s Laxmikant Bajpayee, Kavita Patidar and Sudhanshu Trivedi, Janata Dal (United)’s Sanjay Jha and Tamil Maanila Congress’s GK Vasan had given notice to raise the issue of nation’s security and discuss the “rising threats to national security due to alleged nexus between a political party and some organisations working against India”.
Although Dhankhar rejected all the notices, words were exchanged between the government and the Opposition over the accusations. The Opposition demanded that the House proceed with the day’s business and protested when the BJP leaders made statements about the issue.
Congress member Pramod Tiwari said that since the members had spoken on an issue not allowed by the Chair, their statements should not be put on record. Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge also alleged that the Chair did not give him a chance to speak, opting instead to give the floor to the minister for parliamentary affairs. The House was adjourned amid the din till noon.
When the House reassembled, leader of the House JP Nadda said that BJP members were agitated over an issue that involved Congress leaders and wanted a discussion.
He alleged the link between the Forum of Democratic Leaders in the Asia-Pacific (FDL-AP) and George Soros is a matter of concern. “...Its co-president is a member of this House,” he said, adding that the FDL-AP sees Jammu and Kashmir as a “separate entity,” and its financial support is linked to the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation.
“This maligns India’s image and raises concern about national security. People are concerned about the way Congress is playing with national security. Therefore, our members want a discussion,” he said.
Speaking outside Parliament, BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said, “There is an organisation called Forum of Democratic Leaders in Asia-Pacific and it has four co-chairs. Sonia Gandhi as the chairperson of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation is one of the co-chairpersons of the Forum of Democratic Leaders in Asia-Pacific...The financial support being given to the Forum of Democratic Leaders in Asia-Pacific is from the contribution of the George Soros Foundation.”
He went on to say, “Soros is the same person who has openly said that he has invested $1 billion to destabilise the Modi government...The Opposition does not want to discuss this issue...What is the connection of the Congress with the Forum of Democratic Leaders in Asia-Pacific?... Does the Congress have any connection with the traitors (George Soros)?...”
Congress leader Pawan Khera hit back and questioned the BJP’s links with foreign institutions. “To save his friend, Modi ji is spoiling relations with friendly countries of India and giving clean chit to enemy countries of India. If Soros is such a big issue then take extradition action against him. And also tell me that: Which BJP leader’s children received scholarships from which foundation for studying abroad?”
