NEW DELHI: In its pushback to the BJP’s charges, the US embassy in Delhi said it was disappointing that the ruling party would make accusations that ‘deep state’ elements and the US government were trying to destabilise India.
“The US government works with independent organisations on programming that supports professional development and capacity building training for journalists. This programming does not influence the editorial decisions or direction of these organisations,” according to a spokesperson of the US embassy.
It was responding to the BJP’s accusation on Thursday that US government and deep state elements were trying to destabilise the country. The ruling party alleged that the investigative journalism portal, Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), was providing ammunition to the Congress to target India and the BJP.
“The US has long been a champion of media freedom around the world. A free and independent press is an essential component of any democracy, enabling informed and constructive debate and holding those in power accountable,” the US embassy spokesperson added.
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra had said that elements in the US deep state have colluded with a group of journalists and with India’s Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, to put a spoke in the wheel of India’s growth story using unsubstantiated allegations and malicious reports without a “shred of evidence.”
“In fact, 50% of OCCRP’s funding comes directly from the US State Department. OCCRP, therefore, functions as a media tool for carrying out deep state agendas,” the party said in a series of posts on social media.