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Union Minister Kiren Rijiju launched a scathing attack on Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, as he shared the screenshot of an old tweet of Tharoor’s, where the Congress MP referred to billionaire George Soros as an “old friend”. In his post, Rijiju said that “India cannot be fooled”, criticising him in light of recent BJP allegations linking Congress to Soros.
“India cannot be fooled, threatened, or ignored. Enough of sycophancy and bootlicking to those who still treat India as a third-world begging country. Time has changed,” he wrote.
Shashi Tharoor’s post mentioning George Soros as his friend was made on May 26, 2009, and he described him as a “concerned world citizen”.
His remarks followed the BJP’s broader allegations that Congress leader Sonia Gandhi has links to an organisation backed by the George Soros Foundation.
They claim the organisation in question supports initiatives aimed at undermining India’s sovereignty and fostering separatist movements, including calls for Kashmir’s independence.
The public confrontation between Rijiju and Tharoor escalated earlier this week when the Congress leader criticised the BJP over its allegations of US “deep state” interference in India.
Tharoor dismissed the BJP’s accusations against the US and its media outlet, the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), as baseless and damaging to India’s reputation.
In a strongly worded post, Tharoor accused the BJP of behaving like an “attack dog”, undermining democracy and diplomacy.
“It’s clear the BJP neither understands democracy nor diplomacy. They are so blinded by petty politics that they forget the value of a free press and vibrant independent civil society organisations in a democracy,” Tharoor wrote.
He added that the ruling party’s approach was “an embarrassment to India” and criticised their failure to maintain healthy relations with key foreign allies.
Rijiju hit back, saying Tharoor should not act as though he was on “the payroll of George Soros”. He urged Tharoor to prioritise India’s interests over personal or political allegiances.
“No need to act as if you are on the payroll of George Soros. Democracy and diplomacy are for the country’s interest, not means to abuse one’s own country in tandem with adverse foreign elements. Expected better from you, Shashi,” Rijiju said in his counterattack.
The clash stems from broader BJP allegations that Congress and opposition elements are colluding with foreign organisations to tarnish India’s image globally.
The BJP cited a French media report claiming that OCCRP, a media portal that investigates crime and corruption, is funded by entities like the US State Department’s USAID, the Rockefeller Foundation, and George Soros. The BJP argued that OCCRP, in coordination with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, was attempting to destabilise the country.
The US embassy, however, dismissed these allegations as “disappointing”. A spokesperson clarified that the US government supports media freedom worldwide and does not interfere with editorial decisions.
“The US government works with independent organisations on programming that supports professional development and capacity-building training for journalists,” the official said, emphasising that these activities are non-partisan.
Furthermore, French investigative outlet Mediapart on Sunday accused the BJP of misrepresenting its reporting to promote a conspiracy theory involving the US government, billionaire George Soros, and Congress.
The BJP had recently cited a Mediapart investigation into OCCRP to claim that Soros and the US State Department were working to destabilise Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. The OCCRP has previously published reports alleging financial misconduct by the Adani Group.
In a statement, Mediapart’s publisher Carine Fouteau criticised the BJP for twisting their article to fit its political narrative and attack press freedom.
“Mediapart strongly condemns the misuse of its investigation by the BJP to spread false claims,” Fouteau said, adding that no evidence supports the conspiracy theory promoted by the party.
She also expressed solidarity with Indian and international journalists who continue to report and investigate fearlessly.
The BJP’s narrative also implicated Congress in links to organisations funded by Soros, a frequent target of criticism by conservative political leaders worldwide.
Congress MP Manickam Tagore, however, countered the BJP’s claims, accusing the ruling party of deflecting attention from domestic issues, including the Adani Group controversy and the ongoing crisis in Manipur.
