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Congress on Soros's ‘democratic revival’ remark: 'Whether Adani scam sparks…'
The fallout from US short seller Hindenburg Research’s attack on the conglomerate has fueled concerns about the country’s regulatory framework and sparked questions about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ties with Adani.
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Friday asserted that the “democratic revival” in India depends entirely on the Opposition parties and the electoral process and has nothing to do with George Soros, the billionaire investor who jumped into the ongoing controversy involving Gautam Adani and US short seller Hindenburg Research. Ramesh said, “Nehruvian legacy ensures people like Soros cannot determine our electoral outcomes.”
Soros, in a speech ahead of the Munich Security Conference, said that he expects a "democratic revival" in India in the wake of the turmoil engulfing Gautam Adani’s business empire.
“Modi and business tycoon Adani are close allies. Their fate is intertwined,” Soros said.
“Modi is silent on the subject, but he will have to answer questions from foreign investors and in parliament,” he added.“This will significantly weaken Modi’s stranglehold on India’s federal government and open the door to push for much-needed institutional reforms. I may be naive, but I expect a democratic revival in India.”
Soros is the founder of the Open Society Foundations, which gives grants to groups and individuals that promote democracy, transparency and freedom of speech.
Reacting to Soros's comment, Jairam Ramesh tweeted, “Whether the PM-linked Adani scam sparks a democratic revival in India depends entirely on the Congress, Opposition parties & our electoral process. It has NOTHING to do with George Soros. Our Nehruvian legacy ensures people like Soros cannot determine our electoral outcomes.”
Union minister Smriti Irani blasted Soros alleging that he not only attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi but also targeted Indian democratic system. She claimed that Soros has now “pronounced his desire to break Indian democracy” and has "declared his ill-intention to intervene in democratic processes of India”.
“George Soros wants a government that is pliable to his needs is more than evident from his statement. That he has announced funding of over a billion dollars to target leaders like PM Modi is significant,” she said.
