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Inside Congress’ Foreign Network: Soros Links, Foreign NGOs, Media Operations And The Threat To National Security

By
The Commune
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A series of social-media disclosures, OSINT-based threads, and political allegations circulating in late 2025 have reignited an intense debate over the Indian National Congress’s foreign engagements, its alleged proximity to international activist networks, and claims of a coordinated media-narrative ecosystem operating both within and outside India.

At the centre of these claims is Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, whose foreign travels, closed-door meetings, and associations with individuals and organisations linked to billionaire philanthropist George Soros have drawn sharp scrutiny from political critics and security commentators.

The allegations, advanced primarily by independent OSINT researchers and amplified through social-media platforms, assert the existence of a structured network involving foreign-funded NGOs, think tanks, journalist-training organisations, and ideological advocacy groups, which allegedly intersect with Congress party interests and messaging, particularly in relation to criticism of the Modi government and India’s national-security policies.

I. The Foundational Allegation: A Systemic Muslim Network Leverage

The core part of this is that the Congress party systematically partners with and lands at the door of Muslim-led organizations to build its narrative and operational infrastructure. Key figures and organizations cited include:

  • FactShala/DataLeads: Linked to Syed Nazakat.
  • GFMD (Global Forum for Media Development) & PROTO Network: Linked to Nasr ul Hadi.
  • Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR): Led by Rashid Ahmed, noted as a regular feature in Rahul Gandhi and Overseas Congress meetings.
  • Other Creations: The network allegedly includes individuals like Arfa Khanam and the late Mohammed Zubair.

The charge is that this represents a deliberate political strategy by the Congress to build a leveraged network, with critics questioning the silence of those who overlook this alleged game.

II. The Pangong Tso Episode: A Security Conundrum

A focal point of concern is Rahul Gandhi’s August 2023 Ladakh bike trip to Pangong Tso lake, a militarily sensitive flashpoint on the India-China border. Investigations have centered on one of his companions, Shakir Mohamed Nurali Merali, a Kenyan citizen and Managing Partner for Africa at global investment firm Lightrock.

The Soros Connection:

Lightrock’s Indian platform originated as Aspada Investment Company, wholly created and funded by the Soros Economic Development Fund (SEDF).

Although acquired by Liechtenstein’s LGT Group in 2019 and rebranded, legal documents from 2021 show Lightrock India and SEDF as co-investors, indicating an ongoing institutional relationship.

This link gained scrutiny in March 2025 when the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided Open Society Foundations and SEDF-linked locations in Bengaluru over alleged foreign exchange violations.

The Abraaj Group Past:

Prior to Lightrock, Merali was a Managing Director at The Abraaj Group, a Dubai-based private equity firm founded by Pakistani businessman Arif Naqvi, which collapsed in 2018 amid fraud allegations.

During his tenure, Abraaj was the majority owner of K-Electric, Pakistan’s largest power utility. In 2016, Abraaj agreed to sell K-Electric to Shanghai Electric Power, a Chinese state-owned company, for $1.77 billion – a deal that would have placed critical Pakistani infrastructure under Beijing’s control.

A Pakistani judicial commission alleged Abraaj offered a $20 million bribe to then-PM Nawaz Sharif and his brother to push the deal.

Abraaj was also implicated in channeling foreign corporate money into Pakistani politics, including a transfer of an identical sum to Imran Khan’s PTI party on the same day a Naqvi-controlled entity received funds from Abraaj Investment Management.

Chinese Capital Overlaps:

Merali’s current African investment focus at Lightrock intersects with zones of heavy Chinese state activity (e.g., Kenyan railway electrification contracts with Chinese firms).

He is a personal angel investor in Nairobi-based Ilara Health, which is backed by the Chinese venture capital fund ShakaVC.

The Security Alarm:

The convergence of Merali’s ongoing Soros network ties, his past in a firm that attempted to sell vital Pakistani assets to a Chinese state entity, and his current investments alongside Chinese capital, all meeting a senior Indian opposition leader at one of India’s most sensitive border locations, has raised a storm of questions among security experts regarding the purpose, approval, and content of the discussions.

III. The German Sojourn: Meetings with Soros-Linked and Anti-India Entities

Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Germany, during an ongoing Parliament session, involved a series of behind-closed-doors meetings that have sparked major controversy. He openly met Cornelia Woll, a direct associate of George Soros at the Soros-founded Central European University.

The list of individuals and organizations he allegedly met includes:

Dr. Daniela Schwarzer: Former Executive Director for Europe and Eurasia at Open Society Foundations (OSF) (2021-2023).

Dr. Thorsten Benner of the Global Public Policy Institute (GPPi): His organization received continuous OSF funding from 2014-2021. GPPi has published articles critical of India’s Pulwama response and Kashmir policy. Benner also sits on the German Marshall Fund (GMF) expert panel, whose advisory council includes former CIA officials.

Dr. Manisha Reuter of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR): Her organization is funded by three entities banned by India’s Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA): Open Society Foundations, European Climate Foundation, and Children’s Investment Fund Foundation.

Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES): Lists OSF as an official partner. Published a 2022 report placing “cow vigilantes in Modi’s India” alongside global authoritarian regimes.

Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung (HBS): Published content framing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) as a “Hindu Rashtra agenda.” Partners with Harsh Mander’s Centre for Equity Studies, whose FCRA license was suspended by the MHA. Harsh Mander has long been associated with the Congress and Soros-linked networks.

Progressive Alliance: Coordinated meetings through Tania Sanchez Toledo. This network lists the Indian National Congress and Samajwadi Party as members, but also includes Pakistan’s Awami Party and National Party, whose successor groups have called Kashmir an “occupation” and opposed Article 370’s revocation.

The pattern identified is consistent: meetings with organizations funded by OSF or MHA-banned entities, individuals who have published articles attacking India’s policies, and politicians maintaining channels with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

IV. The Journalist Network: US Tour and Coordinated Disinformation Campaign

A group of 7-8 Indian journalists traveled to the USA in October 2025. Upon their return, they launched a synchronized attack on the government, culminating in a false narrative that PM Modi’s name appeared in the Epstein Files – a claim later debunked.

Their US itinerary and hosts reveal a concerning pattern:

Event 1 (Washington DC, Oct 1-2): “Voices of the Republic” at the Capitol Hill, organized by the Global Gandhi Network (run by Sam Pitroda) and co-organized by The Public India. A speaker was Rasheed Ahmed of IAMC (Indian American Muslim Council), an organization charged under UAPA with alleged links to Pakistan’s Jamaat-e-Islami.

Event 2 (Palo Alto, Oct 19): Organized by Hindus for Human Rights (HfHR) and Association for India’s Development. HfHR allegedly receives indirect Soros funding via the Tides Foundation and works with groups like IAMC and CAIR.

Event 3 (New Jersey): Meet and Greet hosted by the Indian Overseas Congress (IOC) USA, with President Mohinder Singh Gilzian and MP Vivek Tankha present.

Event 4 (Washington DC, Oct 1): Meeting at the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy, moderated by Dr. Muqtader Khan (X account withheld in India). New Lines Institute is headed by Dr. Ahmed Alwani, also Vice President of the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT), described as a Muslim Brotherhood institution. The institute integrates several alumni from Stratfor, a private intelligence firm with ex-agency staff.

The Execution: 

Journalists including Neelu Vyas Thomas, Rakesh Pathak, Anand Vardhan Singh (The Public India), and others returned and launched identical narratives across platforms like HW News, DB Live, and Satya Hindi. These were amplified in lockstep by Congress IT cell and leaders like Sanjay Raut and Srivatsa YB.

The allegation is that this was a foreign-funded, politically coordinated influence operation masterminded by a confluence of US-based entities, Soros networks, the Muslim Brotherhood, Pakistani elements, and the Congress party, executed by compromised journalists.

V. The PROTO Network & The Legal Threat

An OSINT researcher (The Hawk Eye) published a detailed thread alleging a media-narrative control network centered on Kota Neelima, wife of Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera.

The Alleged Structure:

PROTO: Founded in 2018 by the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), alleged to be a conduit for foreign funds to journalists globally. ICFJ receives funding from OSF and USAID.

Funding Chain: ICFJ and GFMD are funded by entities like the Knight Foundation, Luminate, and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) – an organization expelled by Russia and China for alleged regime-change operations.

Neelima’s Role: Allegedly built a media ecosystem (2017 onward) through the Institute of Perception Studies, Rate The Debate, Hakku Initiative, and StudioAdda, hosting 25-30 journalists critical of the government (e.g., Ashutosh, Paranjoy Guha Thakurta). This platform is claimed to influence the pre-screening of Indian journalists for foreign funding.

Islamist Links: PROTO’s founder, Nasr ul Hadi, oversees journalist selection for South Asia. His brother, Saif ul Hadi, is associated with Jamaat-e-Islami Hind and its Vision 2040, having participated in anti-CAA protests. This is presented as a “division of roles”: foreign funding for narrative building, on-ground Islamist activism, and political amplification by Congress.

Editorial Bias: ICFJ-commissioned stories in India (2020-2024) allegedly focused exclusively on themes like minority persecution and hate speech under Modi, while ignoring topics like Islamist violence or forced conversions.

In response, Kota Neelima issued a legal threat against the researcher, calling the thread a “defamatory rant” and promising civil and criminal proceedings. No detailed rebuttal has been issued by the Congress or the named organizations.

The evidence reveals a coordinated network: a Congress leader meeting Soros-linked executives at sensitive borders; clandestine talks with foundations banned by India; journalists weaponized after U.S. tours funded by Congress allies and adversarial groups.

The pattern is deliberate. The synchronization is exact. This is a machine built on foreign capital and anti-India narratives, operating for years outside power.

It’s no longer about politics, it’s about penetration. The integrity of the state demands an immediate, surgical investigation. Not to debate, but to dismantle. Sovereignty is non-negotiable.

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