BJP's Kiren Rijiju calls Sonia Gandhi-George Soros link 'serious concern', Congress pushes back

India's Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Monday (Dec 9) called the alleged links between Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and Hungarian-American businessman George Soros a "serious" concern and appealed that it should not be seen through a "political lens", while appealing for a united front against "anti-India forces."

"It is an important issue that I want to raise without doing politics over it. The links between Sonia Gandhi and George Sores are serious. We do not want to see it by giving a political spin," said Rijiju.

"We want to run parliament. I want to clarify that some issues are politically driven but if powers outside India are trying to defy India and fight against India then there are serious concerns," said the minister.

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“The issue of George Soros was raised in the Parliament. The report is in the public domain and there are serious allegationsinit. Whoever the leader is from whichever party. I don’t want to name them. This Soros works against India," said Rijiju, while speaking to reporters.

“I only appeal to remain united against anti-Indiaelements. The government is always ready for a discussion," he added.

What are the allegations of the BJP?

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday (Dec 8) alleged that Congress leader Sonia Gandhi has ties with the organisation which is financed by the George Soros Foundation. The foundation supports the idea of Kashmir as an independent nation.

As per BJP, Gandhi has played the role of the co-president of the Forum of Democratic Leaders in Asia Pacific (FDL-AP) Foundation earlier, which is concerning.

“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," said the party.

The ruling party also pointed towards partnerships between Soros-linked organisations and the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, calling it evidence which proves foreign influence in the country's domestic affairs.

The accusations of the BJP were dismissed by the US government as the embassy called them "disappointing".

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However, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey said that 10 questions will be posed by him to Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha on this issue.

Congress rebuts allegations of BJP

Speaking to NDTV, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram dismissed the allegations of the BJP and called them "dark fantasies" which should only remain in the "dark web".

"These deep state theories should be confined to the dark web and not serious political discourse. People have dark, morbid fantasies and they can continue to have them, and there will be no credence given to all these conspiracy theories. We are always for the sovereignty and unity of India. We are patriots, we are nationalists and we are doing nothing that is against the integrity of India," he said.

(With inputs from agencies)