NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had joined hands with “anti-India forces” during his visit to Germany.Party spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia asserted that the Congress MP was part of a larger conspiracy against the country. The BJP also linked Gandhi to US billionaire investor George Soros, repeating earlier allegations of foreign influence.Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters, Bhatia alleged that Gandhi met individuals hostile to India while abroad.“If anyone meets anti-India forces and insults Bharat from foreign soil, it’s none other than Rahul,” Bhatia charged. He added, “George Soros and Rahul Gandhi are two bodies but one soul.”The BJP spokesperson displayed a purported photograph of Gandhi with Cornelia Woll, president of the Berlin-based Hertie School, claiming it as evidence of his interaction with “anti-India forces in Germany”. Bhatia alleged that Woll is a trustee of the Central European University, which he said is funded by Soros’s Open Society Foundation.Questioning Gandhi’s foreign visits during parliamentary sessions, Bhatia asked, “What kind of anti-India agenda is it that the Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi is hatching a conspiracy against Bharat by joining hands with such anti-India forces?” He further claimed that Gandhi frequently travels abroad during or ahead of Parliament sessions and meets people who are “jealous of India and attack its integrity”.Bhatia also alleged that this was not the first such instance, accusing Gandhi of defaming India during previous foreign visits.“This is not the first time Rahul Gandhi is indulging in such anti-national activities,” he said. “Rahul Gandhi has become Mir Zafar,” the party spokesperson asserted.The BJP reiterated its claim that Soros makes “anti-India statements” and provides funds to create unrest in the country. “George Soros is not an Indian; he is a foreigner. But Rahul Gandhi has taken the oath of protecting the Constitution,” Bhatia said. He added, “These snakelets within India need to be treated. People of the country are demanding it.”The BJP’s remarks come amid Rahul Gandhi’s ongoing visit to Germany, where he toured BMW’s headquarters in Munich. During the visit, Gandhi criticised the Centre over manufacturing, saying India needs to “produce more” and that manufacturing in the country was “declining”.In a video shared by the Congress, Gandhi said India needs to focus more on production-led growth. “Manufacturing is the backbone of strong economies. Sadly, in India, manufacturing is declining. For us to accelerate growth, we need to produce more—build meaningful manufacturing ecosystems and create high-quality jobs at scale,” he said.In another video clip from the visit, Gandhi remarked, “India needs to start producing. Production is the key for the success of any country. And our manufacturing is declining which actually should be going up.”The BJP strongly objected to Gandhi’s remarks, accusing him of running down the country from foreign soil at a time when Parliament was in session. BJP MP and party spokesperson Sambit Patra said the Leader of Opposition carries a “huge responsibility” and must act with restraint while travelling abroad. “The LoP has a huge responsibility. The LoP has to behave in a really responsible manner, especially when the LoP is on foreign soil. Parliament is in session here, several Bills are being discussed in the House and Rahul Gandhi is in Germany to address the Indian diaspora,” Patra said.Referring to Gandhi’s visit to the BMW plant, Patra alleged that the Congress leader praised German manufacturing while portraying India negatively. “Today, we saw Rahul Gandhi visiting the BMW factory in Munich and there, he appreciated their manufacturing and said that he is sad that manufacturing is poor in India,” he said, rejecting Gandhi’s claim and citing official data to assert that India’s manufacturing sector was on a growth path.The BJP’s latest attack also revives allegations made earlier this year, when party spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia accused the Congress and Rahul Gandhi of working with foreign forces to destabilise India. In February, Bhatia had claimed that organisations linked to George Soros were involved in “anti-India activities” and alleged that funding to certain NGOs during the Congress-led UPA government was significantly higher than under the current BJP government.At the time, Bhatia had accused Gandhi of collaborating with foreign forces to weaken India, citing alleged links to Soros-funded organisations.
