BJP MP Sambit Patra called the Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi a “traitor of the highest order”, levelling accusations against him of conspiring to “destabilise” the country. Along with Gandhi, Patra named Hungarian-American billionaire philanthropist George Soros and the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), a global collective of investigative journalists, as forming a “dangerous triangle”.
BJP Alleges OCCRP, Soros, Rahul Gandhi ‘Trying To Destabilise India’
Why In News
- BJP MP Sambit Patra called the Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi a “traitor of the highest order”, levelling accusations against him of conspiring to “destabilise” the country. Along with Gandhi, Patra named Hungarian-American billionaire philanthropist George Soros and the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), a global collective of investigative journalists, as forming a “dangerous triangle”.
What Are The Allegations
- Earlier this week, Mediapart published what it called “A painful but necessary investigation”, alleging that the OCCRP had intentionally hidden its relationship with the US government while uncovering corruption elsewhere.
- As per OCCRP’s website, Soros’s Open Society Foundations is one of its 21 major institutional funders. Other supporters include The Rockefeller Brothers’ Fund, the US Department of State, Ford Foundation, German Marshall Fund and The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.
- In a series of posts on X, the BJP alleged that the OCCRP investigations into the Adani Group, and its 2021 report on Brazil terminating an agreement to purchase Covaxin from India amid corruption allegations were proof of foreign interference.
- The party claimed that the OCCRP enjoys funding from Soros-owned foundations, and has gone “out of its way to defend Rahul Gandhi”.
Who Is George Soros
- George Soros is a Hungarian-American hedge fund manager-turned-philanthropist. Born in Budapest, Hungary, in 1930 to Jewish parents, the family survived the Nazi occupation of his country in 1944-45.
- He moved to London in 1947 as the communists ascended to power in Hungary. He studied Philosophy at the London School of Economics and obtained his Master of Science in Philosophy in 1954.
- In 1956, he emigrated to the US, where he started initially as an analyst of European securities. In 1973, he launched his hedge fund and became known for his successful currency trades, particularly his bet against the British pound in 1992. Soros is considered one of the pioneers of the modern hedge fund industry.
- He has also been engaged as a philanthropist, donating to causes such as human rights, education, and public health. He helped foster America’s medical marijuana movement and in the early 2000s, became a vocal backer of legalising same-sex marriage.
- According to Bloomberg, Soros has a net worth of $6.5 billion as of December 5, 2024. He leveraged this significant financial muscle to create the Open Society Foundations, a network of foundations, partners, and projects now in over 100 countries. The foundations have an annual budget of over $1 billion.
What Are Soros’ Ties To India
- Open Society began working in India in 1999, initially offering scholarships and fellowships to students to pursue studies and research at Indian institutions. Its Soros Economic Development Fund is also an active social impact investor in India supporting smallholder farmers and businesses while improving access to health care, schooling, and financial services.
- Since 2008, Open Society has invested over $90 million in start-up and early funding projects managed by Bangalore-based Aspada Investments.
- An investigation by The Indian Express from April 2023 highlights the dichotomous status Soros occupies in public understanding.
- The BJP has on multiple occasions accused him of being an anti-national force, with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar calling him “old, opinionated and dangerous” in February 2023. However, India has been a major contributor to a United Nations fund to foster democracy worldwide through civil society organisations, many of whom have close ties to Soros’ work.
What Is The OCCRP
- The OCCRP is an international network of investigative journalists based in Amsterdam. It is a mission-based nonprofit newsroom that partners with media outlets to publish investigative reports. It was founded by veteran investigative journalists Drew Sullivan and Paul Radu in 2007, following previous collaborations between the duo.
- Initially funded by the United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF), the OCCRP network first opened an office in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Over the years, the OCCRP has grown from six journalists working in five countries to more than 150 journalists in 30 countries.
- The idea is to have a global network of journalists with easy communication and information-sharing so that global networks of corruption and crime can be better understood and exposed.
- The group was also nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2023 by the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
