New Delhi [India], November 14 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi on Saturday slammed the Congress party and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi over the ongoing Bharat Summit 2026 in Hyderabad, demanding an explanation for inviting international figures linked to organisations funded by George Soros’s Open Society network and Amnesty International.
In a post on X, Trivedi questioned the intent behind the conclave. He asked whether the summit was genuinely a forum for constructive dialogue or an effort to create an international platform to amplify anti-India narratives.
“Congress and Rahul Gandhi have to give an answer to the nation,” Trivedi stated, alleging that the presence of certain foreign participants and international networks on a Congress-backed political stage raises deep suspicions about a broader agenda. “Why is Congress bringing such individuals and international networks onto its political platform? This creates deep suspicion about a larger agenda. So the onus of an unequivocal answer is on Congress.”
To substantiate his allegations, the BJP spokesperson cited several publicly available records and past enforcement actions involving the invitees and their affiliated organisations.
Trivedi pointed out that the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), with which summit participant Guillaume Long is associated as a Senior Research Fellow, reportedly received $420,000 in grants in 2021 from the George Soros-backed Open Society Policy Center.
“As per information in Public domain CEPR, associated with Guillaume Long, reportedly received $420,000 in 2021 from George Soros-backed Open Society Policy Center,” he added.
He also flagged the association with Salil Shetty, former Secretary General of Amnesty International, noting that Shetty had made serious allegations against the Indian government regarding Kashmir during a September 2019 interview at Harvard University.
“Salil Shetty, former Secretary General of Amnesty International, made serious allegations against the Indian government over Kashmir in a 2019 Harvard interview,” said Trivedi.
Supporting documents cited by the BJP also highlight Open Society grant records showing a $5,200,000 grant to Amnesty International Limited in London for general support in 2025, alongside a July 2022 Enforcement Directorate (ED) report alleging that Amnesty directed over ₹51 crore to its Indian unit under the guise of export of services.
Trivedi further referenced the March 2025 searches conducted by the Enforcement Directorate at premises in Bengaluru linked to George Soros’s Open Society Foundations (OSF) and its investment arm over alleged violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).
“In March 2025, the ED conducted searches at eight Bengaluru premises linked to Open Society Foundations in connection with alleged FEMA violations,” he added.
In response to the BJP’s criticism, Congress leaders have defended the Bharat Summit 2026 as an international forum aimed at fostering global policy discussions on political, social, and economic equity, cooperative federalism, and India’s strategic response to an evolving global order.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor also alleged that the central government had obstructed the event by cancelling visas or denying entry to 115 of the 315 international speakers who had previously received clearance from the Ministry of External Affairs.
The 2-day Bharat Summit 2026 has brought together roughly 1,000 delegates, policymakers, and thinkers from 70 countries to deliberate on global geopolitics, democracy, climate change, artificial intelligence, and progressive politics.
Alongside Gaurav Gogoi, senior leaders including Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, Salman Khurshid, and Shashi Tharoor are participating in the deliberations.
The two-day summit in Hyderabad brought together political leaders, policymakers, and delegates from various parts of the globe to deliberate on pressing socio-political issues and the preservation of democratic institutions. (ANI)
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