Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor called out the “attack-dog” behaviour of BJP and labelled it an embarrassment to the country after the United States rejected the party’s claims that elements within the American “deep state” were behind attempts to destabilise India.
In a post on X, Tharoor said, “It is evident that the BJP does not understand either democracy or diplomacy. Their myopic political vision fails to recognize the importance of a free press and an effective civil society in a democracy. And they are apparently oblivious of the onus of the ruling party to maintain friendly relations with significant international partners.”
“This ‘attack-dog’ behaviour is an embarrassment to India,” he added referring to BJP’s accusations.
The US Embassy, in a response on December 7, rejected BJP’s claims that US-funded organisations and figures within the “deep state” were trying to destabilize India through coordinated attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and business tycoon Gautam Adani.
A spokesman for the US Embassy labelled the claims “disappointing” and reaffirmed the US government's commitment to media freedom around the world.
On December 5, BJP had alleged that the deep state of the US is in league with the media group OCCRP (Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project) and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to defame India. It pointed to Gandhi using reports from OCCRP as a basis to attack alleged government ties of the Adani Group.
In an unprecedented rebuke of the US State Department, BJP cited French investigative outlet Mediapart’s report that had revealed OCCRP's funding sources, including USAID, as well as figures like George Soros and the Rockefeller Foundation. BJP claimed that nearly 50 percent of OCCRP’s funding comes from the US government, suggesting it functions as a tool for advancing deep state agendas.
The US Embassy spokesperson reacted in dismay to such accusations, stating, “The US government partners with independent organisations to enhance professional development and training for journalists. These efforts do not interfere with the editorial discretion of these organisations.”
OCCRP is an Amsterdam-based media platform known for investigative stories on crime and corruption.
“The United States has long championed media freedom abroad. An independent press is essential to democracy, fostering informed debate and holding those in power accountable,” the US Embassy emphasized.
US prosecutors last week charged Gautam Adani and others with allegations of paying over $250 million in bribes from 2020 to 2024 to secure solar energy contracts. Adani denied all charges, saying them baseless.
Congress has called for a detailed inquiry and accused the government of protecting the businessman.
In its response, Mediapart’s publisher and director Carine Fouteau in a statement on December 7, said, “Mediapart firmly condemns the instrumentalisation of its recently published investigative article about OCCRP by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in order to serve BJP’s political agenda and attack press freedom.”
She further asserted that the “BJP wrongly exploited Mediapart’s article in order to spread fake news that we never published”.
“There are no facts available supporting the conspiracy theory promoted by BJP,” said Mediapart’s publisher, expressing “full support to the courageous Indian and international journalists who report and investigate in India”.