NEW DELHI: The US responded to BJP’s claims that the State Department and “deep state” were working to destabilise India by targeting PM Narendra Modi and industrialist Gautam Adani, saying it’s “disappointing that the ruling party in India would make these kinds of accusations”.
BJP had alleged that the US deep state worked with investigative journalism platform OCCRP (Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project) and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi to target India’s interests. The allegations followed a report by a French newspaper that claimed to expose “hidden links” between OCCRP and the US government and the media organisation’s funding by billionaire philanthropist George Soros. Congress leaders have protested the allegations in Parliament.
OCCRP has also dismissed the accusations. “A free and independent press is an essential component of any democracy, enabling informed and constructive debate and holding those in power accountable,” a US embassy spokesperson said here Saturday.
US govt works with independent organisations on programming that supports “professional development and capacity-building training for journalists” but this does not influence their editorial policy or direction, the spokesperson said, adding that US has long been a champion of media freedom around the world.
B JP referred to a French media report and said it revealed that OCCRP is funded by the US State Department’s USAID, along with other “deep state figures” like George Soros and the Rockefeller Foundation. OCCRP refuted the report calling it “simply wrong”.
In its response, it said, “OCCRP has no limits on its journalism and no donor influences our reporting. The story, co-written by a disgruntled former member of our network, was unable to cite a single instance of inaccuracy or influence in our work and relied instead on insinuation and implication.”