The BJP on Friday said a “war” had been initiated to target India, stating that billionaire investor George Soros had an “ill intention to intervene in the democratic process of India and wanted a government pliable to his [Mr. Soros’] need.”
The remarks made by Union Minister Smriti Irani in New Delhi came after comments by Mr. Soros ahead of the Munich Security Conference that the turmoil in Indian businessman Gautam Adani’s business empire had shaken the faith in India and threatened the investor confidence and that it could open “the door to a democratic revival” in the country.
He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would have to be answerable to foreign investors and the Parliament on allegations levelled at Mr. Adani. “Mr. Modi and business tycoon Adani are close allies; their fate is intertwined,” he said.
Mr. Soros is the founder of the Open Society Foundation, which provides grants to groups and individuals that promote democracy, transparency and freedom of speech. Earlier too, he had taken on the Modi government stating the “biggest and most frightening setback” to open societies came from India.
Ms. Irani warned that any attempt to “break” democracy in the country would be met with the might of India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. She said a “war” had been initiated to target India.
‘An economic offender’
“The man who broke a bank in England, an economic offender, has said that he desires to break the Indian democracy. George Soros has announced his ill intention to intervene in the democratic process of India. His statements have made it clear that Mr. Soros wants to pick a government which is in his interests,” she said.
Although she did not take any name, she alluded to the possibility of many being “funded” by Mr. Soros. “You know better who is he [Mr. Soros] funding,” she said.
Alleging that Mr. Soros wanted to attack the democratic process in India, Ms. Irani said that his “funding over a billion dollars to target leaders like Prime Minister Modi is significant” (Mr. Soros pledged $1 billion for a university to take on authoritarian governments and climate change). She called on “society to denounce the intention of this individual who seeks to demonise our democracy, weaken it and bring onslaught to the economy of our country.”
