BJP's Smriti Irani Questions Rahul Gandhi's Alleged Meeting With George Soros Aide In US

BJP has demanded answers from the Congress party regarding Rahul Gandhi's alleged meeting with close aides of investor George Soros - a known PM Modi critic.

New Delhi: Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Smriti Irani has made a blistering attack on Congress and questioned its leader Rahul Gandhi's alleged meeting in the USA with Sunita Vishwanath, who is a member of an organisation owned by billionaire investor George Soros, who is allegedly involved in anti-India activities. Addressing a press conference, Irani asked why is Rahul Gandhi "hobnobbing" with those who are funded by George Soros as it is known to everyone what Soros intends to do. While levelling the allegation, Irani also produced a photograph before the media in which Rahul Gandhi can be seen sitting with Vishwanath. 

Irani also claimed that Rahul Gandhi's trip to New York had been coordinated by Tanzeem Ansari, project director of Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), which has links to the Jamaat-e-Islam - both hardline Islamist organisations.

"When it is clear to every Indian what George Soros intends to do, why is Rahul Gandhi hobnobbing with those who are funded by Soros? It is also evident that this is not the only Soros connection. Even in Bharat Jodo Yatra in Karnataka, the Global Vice President of the Open Society Foundation, funded by George Soros, was found accompanying Rahul Gandhi," Irani said while addressing the press conference.

"What is extremely distressing is the link with the Islamic Circle of North America," she said, adding that if one ran a public domain search on the registration process for NRI interaction with Rahul Gandhi in New York, s/he will find the contact of Tazeem Ansari," she added.

#WATCH | Union Minister Smriti Irani says, "...The question that has been left unanswered by the Congress party is - Is it true that Rahul Gandhi met Sunita Vishwanath during his trip to the US?...When it is clear to every Indian what George Soros intends to do, why is Rahul… pic.twitter.com/GhWoCjkTBS — ANI (@ANI) June 28, 2023

Former Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi went on a 10-day visit to the USA from May 31 and participated in programs in three cities, San Francisco, Washington DC, and New York. Regarding the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Irani slammed Congress for the presence of the Global Vice President of the Open Society Foundation funded by George Soros in the Yatra who was seen accompanying Rahul Gandhi.

"Even in Bharat Jodo Yatra in Karnataka, the Global Vice President of the Open Society Foundation funded by George Soros was found accompanying Rahul Gandhi. What is extremely distressing is the link with the Islamic Circle of North America. Those in the public domain who will research how the registration process for NRI interaction with Rahul Gandhi in New York ensued will find contact with a man named Tazeem Ansari. He has an organisational link with Jamaat-e-Islami...."

Irrespective of all this till now Congress party has not denied the meeting between Gandhi and Sunita Vishwanath, said the Union Minister.

BJP Hits Out At Congress After FIR Against Amit Malviya

Irani's scathing attack on Rahul Gandhi came after an FIR was registered against Amit Malviya, the head of the BJP's IT department in Karnataka. The Karnataka police have registered an FIR against Malviya based on a complaint from Ramesh Babu, a member of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee. The FIR accuses Malviya of promoting enmity between groups and instigating people through a video allegedly mocking Rahul Gandhi that he posted on social media. 

Who Is George Soros?

George Soros, a 92-year-old American-Hungarian, is a billionaire investor, philanthropist, short-seller, and political activist. With a net worth of USD 8.5 billion, Soros is renowned for establishing the Open Society Foundations, an organization that provides grants to support democracy, transparency, and freedom of speech initiatives.

Born in Hungary in 1930, Soros hails from a wealthy Jewish family and is recognized as one of the prominent international investors. In response to the prevailing anti-Semitism during that time, his family changed their surname from "Schwartz" to "Soros" to protect their Jewish identity. They endured the horrors of the Holocaust during the Nazi occupation in Hungary before eventually relocating to London in 1947.

In 1970, Soros founded Soros Fund Management, an investment management company that has achieved tremendous success over the years. The firm has consistently generated billions of dollars in profits on a global scale.

The billionaire investor is also a known critic of the Narendra Modi government. In a speech at the Munich Security Conference earlier this year, Soros alleged that the turmoil over Gautam Adani's business empire might weaken PM Modi's hold on the government. He said PM Modi would "have to answer questions" from foreign investors and Parliament.