'Old, dangerous, rich': S Jaishankar's not-so-kind description of George Soros

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday sharply reacted to recent comments made by billionaire investor George Soros where he said that the Adani Group row will "significantly affect the ruling government in the country” for which PM Narendra Modi will have to "answer questions from foreign investors and in parliament". 

Reacting to the comments, Jaishankar said Soros is an "old, rich opinionated person and dangerous", saying that "such people actually invest resources in shaping narratives."

“Mr Soros is an old, rich opinionated person sitting in New York who still thinks that his views should determine how the entire world works... such people actually invest resources in shaping narratives,” External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said. 

He added: “People like him think an election is good if the person they want to see, wins and if the election throws up a different outcome then they will say it is a flawed democracy and the beauty is that all this is done under the pretense of advocacy of open society."  

On Thursday, Soros, who was at the 2023 Munich Security Conference, said that the recent turmoil in Gautam Adani’s business empire that’s sparked a punishing stock market selloff and shaken faith in India as an investment opportunity may open the door to a democratic revival in the country.  

Soros added that he will "have to answer questions" from foreign investors and Parliament on allegations of fraud and stock manipulation against the billionaire's companies. 

"Adani Enterprises tried to raise funds in the stock market but failed," Soros said. 

Terming Modi and Adani as "close allies," whose "fate is intertwined", the 92-year-old billionaire investor said” "This will significantly weaken Modi's stranglehold on India's federal government and open the door to push for much-needed institutional reforms." 

Sharply reacting to the comments, Union minister Smriti Irani said Soros's remarks were a 'declaration to destroy India's democratic processes'. She said Indians have defeated such 'foreign powers' who tried to meddle with our internal affairs earlier as well and will do so again. "I urge every Indian to give a fitting reply to George Soros," she said. 

She added: "The man who broke the Bank of England and is designated by the nation an economic war criminal, has now pronounced his desire to break Indian democracy. George Soros, an international entrepreneur, has declared his ill-intention to intervene in the democratic processes of India.”  

"PM Modi has repeatedly said that he can take criticism, but an attempt on India will not be tolerated," Smriti Irani further said, adding that this is a 'war' and PM Modi is the only one who stands between the foreign powers and the citizens of India. 

The Adani Group has been under fire ever since US-based short seller Hindenburg Research, in a detailed report, accused the conglomerate of stock manipulation and improper use of tax havens. It also highlighted the debt positioning of the group companies. The Adani Group, on its part, dismissed the report in a string of statements and said the report was an attack on India.