New Delhi: A day after INDIA bloc submitted a notice to move a motion seeking removal from office of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, who is also ex-officio Rajya Sabha chairman, the Congress Wednesday showed readiness to allow proceedings in the Lok Sabha, while the ruling BJP kept the pot boiling on alleged ties between the Congress leadership and billionaire George Soros.
The BJP alleged Wednesday that Gandhi family’s ties with Soros run beyond Forum of Democratic Leaders in the Asia-Pacific—a non-profit set up in 1994 of which Sonia Gandhi is reportedly co-president.
In a post on ‘X’, the BJP alleged that Soros ‘maintained extended correspondence’ with Fori Nehru, a fellow Hungarian who was married to Jawaharlal Nehru’s cousin B.K. Nehru. It also claimed their ties go back to the time B.K. Nehru served as India’s ambassador to the United States (1961-68). The BJP also cited a 2009 report by The Indian Express on Soros’s visit to India that year during which he met Fori Nehru in Kasauli.
In Rajya Sabha, Leader of the House J.P. Nadda, along with Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, raised the issue which resulted in an adjournment.
The Congress in a bid to counter the allegations in a press conference Tuesday had alleged that economist Shamika Ravi, a member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, “received a grant from the Open Society Foundation funded by George Soros”.
Ravi in a post on ‘X’ dismissed the charges, saying the funding was for Indian School of Business (ISB) where she was an assistant professor.
The statement below is entirely incorrect. In 2006/7 The Open Society funded ISB (for work on financial inclusion) – where I was an assistant professor teaching & researching on the topic. No money comes directly to any faculty member.
18 years later, I joined the EAC-PM. I have… https://t.co/mQFQ0G8zW0— Prof. Shamika Ravi (@ShamikaRavi) December 10, 2024
The Congress also asked Modi government why it did not act against Soros’s business interests in India or seek his extradition from the US if he was carrying out an ‘anti-India’ agenda.
“Soros’s Open Society Foundations receives funding from the UN Democracy Fund for 68 projects worldwide. India is the fourth-largest donor to the UN Democracy Fund, which, in turn, supports Soros’s foundation for the last eight years; India has contributed $9,00,000 to the UN Democracy Fund,” Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said in the press conference Tuesday.
Amit Malviya, in-charge of BJP’s IT department, responded with the claim that most of these funds were sanctioned during the UPA-era.
“India contributed $32 million to the UN Democracy Fund. Of this, approximately $31 million was provided during the UPA-era, while only about $1 million came during the Modi government. Did India directly fund George Soros? Absolutely not.
“India gave money to the UN, which, in turn, funded various NGOs—some of which also received funding from George Soros. What is the logic here? It’s like saying that during the Turkey earthquake, both India and Pakistan provided aid to Turkey, so the Indian government must somehow be linked to Pakistan,” argued Malviya.
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BJP plays role of Treasure, Oppn benches
With the Winter Session of Parliament set to conclude on 20 December, the Treasury Benches Wednesday played the role of both ruling party and the Opposition by forcing an adjournment in Rajya Sabha. This was against the backdrop of uproar over allegations against the Congress of having ties with George Soros and the INDIA bloc submitting a notice to move a motion to remove Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar from office.
In the Lok Sabha, the Congress adopted a different strategy, perhaps under pressure from allies. Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi met Speaker Om Birla earlier in the day to discuss smooth functioning of the House.
Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha resumed with Chairman Dhankhar allowing Rijiju to speak on the Soros allegations. The parliamentary affairs minister accused the Opposition of maintaining a “facade to protect the likes of the Gandhi family which has ties to George Soros”.
“You have no right to be members [of the House] if you can’t respect the chair. We have taken an oath to protect sovereignty of the country. You stand with forces who are against the country. Notice has been given against the chairman; it’s difficult to find such a chairman,” he said.
Rijiju went on to reiterate Dhankhar’s background, alleging it is why the Opposition doesn’t leave any chance inside or outside the House to ‘humiliate’ the Vice President.
This was followed by sloganeering, after which Deputy Chairman Harivansh allowed Leader of the House Nadda to speak.
Speaking on the Soros allegations, the BJP president said, “This issue concerns internal security and sovereignty of the country. We want to discuss this issue because one party has ties to George Soros but they want to deviate the nation’s attention by bringing a no-confidence motion. They never respected the chairman inside or outside the House.”
Sensing the motive of the Treasury Benches, the Opposition adopted a different strategy: cornering the chairman for ‘favouring’ the ruling party in the Rajya Sabha; and stating that it wants the Lok Sabha to function so members can raise issues other than the US indictment of Gautam Adani.
A BJP parliamentarian told ThePrint, “After its defeat in Maharashtra and Haryana, Congress was planning to mount a spirited campaign to corner the government over Adani and Manipur, but party leaders decided not to give Opposition any chance to set narrative.
“Normally, the Opposition forces an adjournment but for three days now it was the Treasury Benches which cornered the Opposition.”
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