BJP's Nishikant Dubey drags Rajiv Gandhi Foundation & Sonia Gandhi in Soros row; LS adjourned again

New Delhi: The Lok Sabha plunged into protests and adjourned till 2 pm on Wednesday after BJP's Nishikant Dubey alleged that the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and Sonia Gandhi had links with George Soros and FDL-AP, which had advocated freedom for Kashmir, and claimed the "Soros-funded" Global Knowledge Initiative run by Sam Pitroda bore the expenses of Rahul Gandhi's trips to the US for meeting with some contentious outfits/persons. Dubey's charges triggered a furore with the Congress benches denouncing the charges, with a couple of them briefly walking up to the podium of the Chair, while BJP MPs rallied around Dubey, prompting the Chair to adjourn the House till afternoon.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour in the form of more questions to Rahul Gandhi (who was not present), Dubey asked: "What relations do the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and Sonia Gandhi have with FDL-AP (Forum of Democratic Leaders in the Asia-Pacific ), which considers Kashmir as a separate country? The FDL-AP is funded by Soros. What is the relation between Soros and Sonia Gandhi? Sam Pitroda, Chairman of the Overseas Friends of Congress, runs the Global Knowledge Initiative which is also funded by Soros, and the Global Knowledge Initiative and Pitroda bore the expenditure of Rahul Gandhi's tours to the US, where he met Khalistanis... What is the relation of Rahul Gandhi, Pitroda, Soros and Global Knowledge Initiative?"

The Congress MPs protested against Dubey's allegations, and in the din, the Chair adjourned the House.


Dubey was called to speak during zero hour on Thursday by presiding officer Jagadambika Paul, right in the middle of a Congress protest over the latter expunging a remark about an industrialist by Congress MP Jyothimani while criticising the government attitude towards the agitating farmers. Congress MPs K C Venugopal and Gaurav Gogoi asked how the Chair could expunge the name of the industrialist by arguing the said person was not in the House. They alleged "double standards" by pointing out union minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday was allowed to take the name of Soros to target the Congress.