'Never received a penny, knew Soros from...': Shashi Tharoor clarifies his old tweet on 'friend George Soros'

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Sunday sought to set the record straight regarding a 15-year-old tweet in which he referred to controversial American investor George Soros as a "friend". The clarification comes amid attacks from the BJP, which has been targeting the top Congress leaders over their alleged links with Soros, who has openly criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi.  

The 2009 tweet resurfaced recently, sparking questions over Tharoor's past remarks about Soros. In the tweet, Tharoor had described Soros as a "friend" and praised him as someone "upbeat about India and curious about its neighborhood." He added, "He's far more than an investor: a concerned world citizen."  

However, Tharoor clarified on Sunday that his association with Soros was purely social and not financial. "I knew Soros well in my UN days as an upstanding international-minded resident of New York. He was a friend in the social sense: I have never received or solicited a penny from him or any of his foundations for myself or any institution or cause I supported." 

Tharoor stated that he had only met Soros once more after the 2009 tweet. "That was at the home of then-Ambassador and now-BJP Minister @hardeepspuri when I was visiting NY as MoS MEA. Amb Puri had invited a number of prominent Americans for a dinner discussion with me (and that was entirely appropriate)."  

The Congress MP, who served as UN Under-Secretary-General from 2002 to 2007, underscored that his past relationship with Soros had no political undertones and dismissed any charges stemming from his old tweet. "I hope this clarifies matters to those misguided enough to make an absurd allegation out of a fifteen-year-old innocuous tweet," he concluded.  

The BJP has been relentless in its claims of a nexus between the Congress and George Soros, who has openly expressed a desire to see Prime Minister Modi removed from power. The ruling party has alleged that Soros, through his global network, seeks to destabilise India and undermine its leadership. 

On Thursday, the BJP accused the US deep state of collaborating with media portal OCCRP (Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project) and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to tarnish India's reputation. The ruling party cited Gandhi's reliance on OCCRP reports to attack the Adani Group, alleging a conspiracy involving Soros.  

Further, the BJP has linked Congress President Sonia Gandhi to organisations funded by Soros. It pointed to her role as co-president of the Forum of Democratic Leaders in the Asia-Pacific (FDL-AP), which, according to the BJP, has received financial support from Soros' Open Society Foundations (OSF). 

The BJP circulated images of Salil Shetty, vice-president of OSF, participating in Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, suggesting deeper alignment between Soros’s network and the Congress. They also cited an alleged partnership between the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, chaired by Sonia Gandhi, and Soros-funded entities, claiming it exemplifies foreign influence on domestic matters.