Union Minister and Congress MP clash on social media over billionaire, why did the dinner cause uproar? Know
New Delhi: A war of words has erupted between Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor over a dinner held in New York in 2009. This dinner was hosted by Puri, which was also attended by American billionaire George Soros. BJP leaders have alleged a connection between Congress and Soros, citing previous meetings between Tharoor and Soros.
Puri was India’s ambassador to the United Nations at the time. He hit back at Tharoor, saying that the list of guests for this dinner was given by Tharoor, which included Soros’ name. Puri wrote on the social media platform ‘X’, “It is clear that this name was added because of his involvement in the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation’s associates, and the Minister of State (Tharoor) was keen to meet him.” Puri also claimed that Tharoor had met Soros in May 2009 and also tweeted about it. Puri said, “Since I was new to New York at the time and Tharoor had spent a lot of time there, the guest list was not chosen by me. It was provided by Tharoor.”
Shashi Tharoor rejected Puri’s claims and accused the BJP of exaggerating the allegations. “Dear Hardeep, our memories differ. Many guests at your wonderful dinner were present whom I had never met before. But I see no reason why either of us should deny our contacts with anyone from the early stages of our lives in New York or Geneva,” he wrote.
Tharoor also rejected Puri’s allegation that Soros had any connection to an Indian foundation. He said, “I had absolutely no idea that Soros had any connection to any foundation in India – and I never discussed it with him.” Instead, Tharoor recalled that during the dinner, Soros had criticised India’s stand on global warming.
The controversy escalated after a BJP worker unearthed a 2009 tweet in which Tharoor had praised Soros for his interest in India, calling him an “old friend”. Tharoor clarified that he had only had a social meeting with Soros and had no contact with him after that. “Ambassador Puri invited a number of prominent Americans to discuss the matter with me over dinner and that was entirely appropriate,” Tharoor wrote. He stressed that he had not been in touch with Soros since the incident and denied ever seeking or receiving money from him or his foundation.
The BJP has previously accused Soros of targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The BJP has accused the Congress of conspiring with Soros and his entities to spread misinformation in India and disrupt Parliament. The BJP says that French media outlet Mediapart has exposed the alleged links of Soros’ organisation ‘OCCRP’ (Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project) with the US government, which is the basis of these allegations.
