Indian Overseas Congress chairman Sam Pitroda has dismissed claims of foreign funding and overseas interference in the Congress and the opposition INDIA bloc as bogus, accusing the ruling party of manufacturing controversy whenever Rahul Gandhi travels abroad. The BJP hit back with a George Soros swipe, accusing the opposition of deliberately creating an issue around foreign influence as part of a tactical strategy.
Speaking to an agency, Pitroda rejected allegations of foreign interference in the opposition's activities, calling the foreign hand theory a worn-out political bogey that ruling regimes rely on when they lack substantive answers to domestic crises. He maintained that the INDIA bloc drew its strength from Indian voters and did not need external support to challenge the ruling administration.
Pitroda argued that the alliance derived its legitimacy from ordinary citizens, including farmers, youth, Dalits, backward classes, and minorities. He accused the BJP of targeting Rahul Gandhi during every overseas trip, alleging that the party machinery launched campaigns to manufacture outrage. He asserted that Gandhi's international engagements involved meetings with the Indian diaspora, academics, and policymakers to discuss global economics, artificial intelligence, and democratic governance, rather than seeking outside intervention.
Backing Gandhi's challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an open, unscripted debate, Pitroda praised the opposition leader's courage in speaking up for marginalized communities and addressing wealth inequality. He questioned why the Prime Minister had not accepted the challenge to discuss pressing issues such as unemployment, the economy, border security, the caste census, and farmers' demands.
In response, BJP leader RP Singh criticized Pitroda for supposedly echoing billionaire investor George Soros, alleging that the Congress figures were reviving narratives about foreign spending and influence in India. Singh claimed that the opposition was intentionally manufacturing non-existent controversies as a new political tactic.
Another BJP leader, Ram Kadam, accused Pitroda of attempting to defame constitutional institutions from foreign soil without credible evidence, describing the remarks as part of a calculated conspiracy against the nation's democratic framework.