Hamirpur: Days after George Soros' speech at the Munich Security Conference where the former delved into the Adani-Hindenburg controversy, noting Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be facing questions from both inside and outside India about the issue, Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Sunday trained his guns on the billionaire-investor. Speaking to reporters in Himachal Pradesh's Hamirpur, Thakur said certain individuals and organisations "are not backing down from hatching conspiracies on the international level."
Observing that citizens would get to see "several such incidents within the span of a month" ahead of Lok Sabha elections slated to take place in 2024, the minister said there were "deluded" individuals "who think they will try and shake up the Indian democracy through financial muscle-flexing".
"Through their statements, organisations affiliated with them, and their economic prowess, these people try to infuse the society with lies, fear and misconceptions" he added.
"The opposition parties in India have to answer questions as to how their top leaders were seen going around with members from these organisations," he said without taking any names. "The Opposition will have to clarify if they have become powerless to the extent where they now need foreign powers to aid their operations" he added.
Also read:George Soros intends to break India's democracy; Smriti Irani's takes potshot on Hungarian-American Billionaire
In his recent speech, Soros stated the possibility of a 'democratic revival' owing to the controversy. He also spoke on the Adani-Modi relationship, as well as the situation of Adani stocks after the emergence of the Hindenburg report. Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday termed Soros as "old, rich and dangerous".
Asked about the controversy at the Raisina@Sydney dialogue in Australia, the EAM went on at length, also accusing the Hungarian-American businessman of "investing resources into building narratives". "People like him, think an election is good if the person they want to see wins and if the election throws up a different outcome they will say it is a flawed democracy and the beauty is that this is all done under the pretence of advocacy of open society" Jaishankar was quoted as saying.
