The BJP on Saturday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of seeking to undermine India's democratic institutions with foreign backing, alleging that the party's Bharat Summit 2026 in Hyderabad was providing a platform to individuals linked to George Soros-backed organisations and those who had made anti-India statements.
BJP national media convenor Ashish Usha Agarwal alleged that Rahul Gandhi's politics was moving beyond political opposition towards an "anti-national agenda".
Questioning the participation of foreign speakers at the summit, organised by the Congress government in Telangana, Agarwal asked whether the gathering was intended for dialogue or to promote narratives against India.
He specifically questioned the inclusion of Guillaume Long, former foreign minister of Ecuador, who was reportedly listed among the speakers.
Agarwal claimed that Long was associated with the Centre for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), which reportedly received USD 420,000 in grants from the George Soros-backed Open Society Policy Center in 2021.
He also referred to Enforcement Directorate searches at eight premises in Bengaluru in March 2025 in connection with suspected violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), allegedly involving the Open Society Foundations and its beneficiaries.
"By inviting individuals like Guillaume Long, is Rahul Gandhi seeking international backing for an anti-India agenda?" Agarwal asked in a post on X.
Senior BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi also questioned the participation of Long and Salil Shetty, former Secretary General of Amnesty International, at the summit.
Trivedi referred to Shetty's remarks on Kashmir during a 2019 Harvard interview and alleged that the inclusion of such speakers raised questions about the Congress's larger political agenda.
"Is Bharat Summit 2026 in Hyderabad a platform for dialogue or an attempt to provide another international platform to take up anti-India narratives?" he asked.
BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari went further, accusing Rahul Gandhi of acting as a "puppet of foreign powers" and seeking the removal of the Narendra Modi government with foreign assistance.
"Rahul Gandhi wants regime change with foreign help," Bhandari alleged, claiming that the Congress was bringing international networks into India's political discourse to create instability.
The BJP leaders also questioned the participation of Patrick Gaspard, former president of the Open Society Foundations, among the summit's speakers.
The Congress has said that experts from 70 countries would participate in the event to deliberate on the emergence of a new global order, India's strategic response to geopolitical developments, cooperative federalism and electoral integrity.
The controversy comes amid a row over visas for foreign participants. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Friday alleged that 115 of the 315 speakers cleared by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had either been denied entry into India or had their visas cancelled.
Responding to reports of visa denials and revocations, including those involving Norwegian journalist Helle Lyng, the MEA said visa matters were "sovereign functions" of any government.
(With inputs from PTI)