The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi accuses the U.S. State Department and other “deep state” actors of a conspiracy of destabilizing India. It says the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, which is partly U.S.-funded, was working with opposition leader Rahul Gandhi and billionaire philanthropist George Soros to take down the Modi government.
The BJP said OCCRP’s recent reports, which have also centered on alleged irregularities related to the Adani Group, were politically motivated. Gautam Adani, the chair of the group, was indicted in the U.S. last month on charges of running a $265 billion bribery scheme with Indian officials. The BJP and Adani have labeled these allegations unfounded.
How U.S. State Department is destabilizing India? BJP tells
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra cited a French media report that suggested almost 50% of OCCRP’s funding comes from the U.S. State Department and entities linked to Soros, and the party branded OCCRP as a tool to advance a “deep state agenda.”
OCCRP has denied the accusation of any bias, explaining that it is an independent investigative journalism platform without any political affiliation. It also emphasized that U.S. government funding does not affect its editorial decisions or reporting.
The BJP’s accusations come when India and the U.S. are strengthening their strategic partnership. But the claims have brought a sense of unease in the relationship between the two countries, which has been collaborative.
Opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, have used OCCRP reports to point out alleged government favoritism toward Adani and reopen debates on corruption and crony capitalism. Demands for taking up a discussion on Adani’s indictment have repeatedly disrupted sessions of Parliament.
The BJP has accused them in the past of orchestrating an attack on Modi’s leadership. The party said on Thursday that these attempts are part of a sustained effort to destabilize India and its democratically elected government.
The State Department and Soros have not commented on the issue, but the controversy has added to the charged political debate in the country.
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