The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday searched the offices of George Soros' foundation, the Open Soros Foundation, and non-governmental organisations linked to the OSF, including Amnesty. Officials said the searches are linked to an ongoing FEMA, or Foreign Exchange Management Act, case.
Premised of former employees of Amnesty International (whose India operations shut down in December 2020, after the government froze its bank accounts alleging illegal foreign funding) were searched, as were those of current employees of Human Rights Watch, or HRW.
Amnesty's India office and HRW both reportedly received funds from the OSF in the past. The former has been charge-sheeted by the CBI and the ED has filed a complaint against the latter.
In 2022 Amnesty's India chief, Aakar Patel was fined Rs 10 crore (and the NGO itself Rs 51.72 crore) for contravening the foreign exchange law, or the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act.
The OSF, which began its India ops in 1999, has not yet responded.
In 2016 the Union Home Ministry put the foundation on a 'watchlist' - meaning it now requires government approval to fund Indian NGOs - amid alleged violation of foreign exchange laws.
The move was later challenged in the Delhi High Court, where the plea is pending.
BJP's George Soros Attacks
Organisations linked to, or funded, by George Soros - a Hungarian-American billionaire philanthropist - have been accused by the ruling BJP of acting against India's interests.
The BJP has repeatedly claimed that foundations and think tanks that receive funding from the OSF, including the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, or OCCRP, produce "anti-India" reports and narratives. These, the party has declared, are then picked up and amplified by the Congress to criticise the union government and "defame" the country.
The allegations exploded in December after the BJP and Congress chiefs, JP Nadda and Mallikarjun Kharge, faced off over fresh accusations - this time over 'links' between Sonia Gandhi and the Soros-funded Forum of the Democratic Leaders in Asia Pacific Foundation.\
READ | JP Nadda vs M Kharge Over Soros-Sonia Gandhi Link Claims
Mrs Gandhi is the co-President of the forum.
The allegations came a week after the BJP called Rahul Gandhi a "traitor" and said Mr Soros, "some American agencies" (which also funded the OCCRP) and he were trying to destabilise India.
This sparked a furious political row, including unprecedented calls to charge Sonia Gandhi under anti-terror laws and also a failed move to impeach Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar.
READ | "Ridiculous, BJP Scared": PGV On Sonia Gandhi-Soros Links
The Congress rubbished all such claims, counter-accusing the BJP of trying to divert attention, particularly when Parliament was in session, from its 'failures', including the Hindenburg row.
With input from agencies
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