A report by Kerala-based media Janmabhumi has revealed that the Intelligence Bureau (IB) is investigating The News Minute’s Editor-in-Chief Dhanya Rajendran, identified as an alleged Indian representative of the controversial and notorious Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros.
Soros is accused of attempting to destabilize governments by funding media organizations globally, causing domestic unrest. For years, Soros has openly tried to influence India. According to reports, Dhanya Rajendran is under scrutiny of the IB allegedly as a key intermediary for receiving aid from abroad and doing propaganda against Government of India.
The central government has warned that Soros leads a movement to break India, describing him as a significant threat. George Soros, described by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar as an “old, opinionated, and dangerous person,” has pledged $1 billion to counter nationalism in countries like India, allegedly funding regime change operations, separatist narratives and media outlets to create social divisions in the country.
Soros’s Open Society Foundation reportedly funds Indian online media through DigiPub News India Foundation, led by Dhanya Rajendran. As DigiPub chairperson, Dhanya Rajendran allegedly accepted foreign funds and facilitated propaganda against the Indian government.
NewsClick, which was in news for getting Chinese funds to spread pro-China propaganda, is also a DigiPub member, along with other rabid leftist outlets Alt News, Newslaundry, The Scroll, The Quint, The Wire, etc. Notable members include Barkha Dutt, Sujit Nair, Ravish Kumar, Faye DeSouza, and former Supreme Court judge Madan Lokur.
In India, DigiPub has been accused of using propaganda to support movements like anti-CAA protests, farmers’ protests, Khalistani violence, and Maoist violence against the Narendra Modi government. Member institutions allegedly receive foreign aid through DigiPub, with individual journalists and commentators also involved.
Additionally, these media outlets have been criticized for presenting pro-China news, including claims that Arunachal Pradesh is part of China.
Dhanya and others are accused of receiving funds from international agencies to influence Indian elections. The News Minute has tied up with Newslaundry and has been incessantly publishing half-truths about the Modi government’s instead of objective reporting. They’ve published an exclusive series called “Modi Report Card” where they completely ignore the positive aspects of the government and peddle half-truths on inflation (which has been kept under control despite geopolitical challenges), jobs (lakhs of jobs generated through PLI and many vacant posts in government filled through Rozgar Mela), etc.
It is noteworthy to mention that Dhanya Rajendran organized the ‘Cutting South’ media festival in Kochi, which had a map that questioned India’s territorial integrity as the logo depicted the South separately. Organizers claimed it meant “Cutting Edge,” but this explanation was not widely accepted.
She had reportedly admitted to the Bengaluru Central police that the Canadian High Commission sponsored a session on climate change at the event and that they received funds for it. The funding from Canadian High Commission comes at a time when relations between India and Canada have been bitter due to the latter fanning Khalistani separatism for its domestic politics.
The Kerala Media Academy, an autonomous institution under the Kerala government, was also involved in the festival’s expenses. The Academy is a joint venture between the Kerala government and the Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ), which allegedly supports Popular Front of India (PFI) terrorists.
Despite limited viewership, Newslaundry and The News Minute receive foreign funds for their operations. While they’ve been questioning the Modi government on transparency over Electoral Bonds, their own revenue sources and fundraising methods are opaque.
The News Minute’s fundraising methods are likened to PFI’s crowdfunding through NRI accounts. Smaller donations under $200 are allegedly used to avoid detection.
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