On Wednesday, June 28, Union Minister and senior BJP leader Smriti Irani slammed Congress scion Rahul Gandhi for having links with controversial financier and billionaire George Soros. She also questioned if Rahul Gandhi met Sunita Vishwanath, the co-founder of a US-based organisation called “Hindus for Human Rights”. Notably, Vishwanath’s organisation, funded by George Soros, has a history of peddling vicious lies and propaganda against Hindus.
Minister Irani’s remarks came after an FIR was lodged by the Congress government in Karnataka against BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya who recently criticised Rahul Gandhi over his regular calls for foreign intervention in India’s internal affairs.
“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 of Tazeem Ansari – he has an organisational link with Jamaat-e-Islami,” Irani said.
Union Minister Smt. @smritiirani addresses a press conference at BJP headquarters in New Delhi. https://t.co/LkHM9sKgBZ
— BJP (@BJP4India) June 28, 2023
The BJP leader further recalled her earlier press conference wherein she talked about George Soros’s intention to destabilise the democratically elected government in India. Smriti Irani then mentioned the 2019 resolution passed in the US House of Representatives in which concern was raised about the threat posed to democracy and human rights by theocratic groups operating in South Asia.
During her press conference in February, Smriti Irani slammed George Soros for claiming that the Adani Group dispute would significantly weaken Modi’s grip on India’s federal government.
“The man who broke the bank of England, a man who is designated as an economic war criminal has now pronounced his desire to break the Indian democracy. George Soros, who hedges bets against many countries has now declared his ill intentions in the democratic processes of India,” Irani said on February 17 this year.
Pointing out at the resolution stating the affiliation between Jamaat-e-Islami and Islamic Circle of North America, Irani today (June 28) said, “Irrespective of these documents available in the public domain, the Congress has neither refuted a meeting between an individual supported and funded by George Soros nor has the Congress party rejected the role of certain Mr Tazeem Ansari who has links to an organisation the US resolution (H. Res. 160) openly declares is affiliated to Jamaat-e-Islami.
The BJP leader also alleged that in view of Congress’s “draconian past, the party will leverage any instrument available to stifle those who voice their opinion against the Gandhi family.”
Moreover, Smriti Irani reiterated her question regarding Rahul Gandhi’s meeting with Sunita Vishwanath during his recent US visit.
“Despite every Indian knowing the intentions of George Soros and his aides, what was compulsion behind Rahul Gandhi meeting an aide of Soros in the US,” Irani said.
It is worth recalling that Rahul Gandhi on June 4, spoke at Javits Centre in New York. A registration form urging Muslims living in different areas around New York to attend the event was circulated on social media.
In the said form, the list of persons whom people can contact for more information has raised concerns as it contains the names of people who have alleged links to anti-India activities. List of people and mosques that have called for the registration are Tazeem Ansari and Niaz Khan of Masjid Al-WALI/MCNJ North Edison Woodbridge TWP NJ, Jaweed Syed, Habeeb Siddiqui and Mir Quadri of Masjid MCMC South Edison/Piscataway / East Brunswick NJ, Mohammed Aslam and Minhaj Khan of ISCJ/MCGP South Brunswick/ Kendall Park/Princeton NJ, Aquil Mohammed and Nazeer Syed of Masjid Sadar Sayreville/Old Bridge NJ and Shaheen Khateeb and Hashir Qazi of (Darul Islah) Teaneck NJ.
After pointing out Tazeem Ansari and other Soros-funded individuals having connections with Jamaat-e-Islami, Irani said that “since it is the month of June, the Gandhi family reminded of the Emergency, as even if they have power in one state, they will go to any extent to suppress the truth.”
Notably, on Wednesday, the Congress government in Karnataka filed an FIR against BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya for tweeting out his criticism against former Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and his regular calls for foreign interference in India’s internal affairs.
The FIR has been filed under sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups), 120b (criminal conspiracy), 505(2) (promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes) and 34 (criminal conduct in pursuit of a common intention) of the Indian Penal Code in Bengaluru’s High Grounds Police Station based on the complaint filed by Congress’s Ramesh Babu.