'Attack-dog behaviour': Shashi Tharoor slams BJP after US rejects allegations of backing anti-India agenda

NEW DELHI: Congress Parliamentarian Shashi Tharoor on Sunday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party and said that the latter's "attack-dog behaviour" had turned out to be an "embarrassment for India", after the US rejected the saffron party's allegations of backing anti-India agenda.

He said that the BJP "neither understands democracy nor diplomacy" and accused the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led party of indulging into "petty politics."

"It’s clear the BJP neither understands democracy nor diplomacy. They are so blinded by petty politics that they forget the value of a free press and vibrant independent civil society organisations in a democracy, and they are oblivious to a ruling party’s responsibilities in maintaining good relations with key foreign countries. This attack-dog behaviour is an embarrassment to India," Tharoor said in a post on X.

The BJP had accused the US deep state, the media platform OCCRP (Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project), and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of conspiring to "damage" India's reputation. Responding to this, the US had called it "disappointing that the ruling party in India would make these kinds of accusations."

"The US government works with independent organisations on programming that supports professional development and capacity building training for journalists. This programming does not influence the editorial decisions or direction of these organisations," the US embassy spokesperson.

The BJP, referencing a French media report, had claimed that OCCRP is funded by the US State Department's USAID, along with other influential figures from the "deep state" such as George Soros and the Rockefeller Foundation.

"French investigative media group Mediapart revealed that OCCRP is funded by the US State Department's USAID, as well as other deep state figures like George Soros and the Rockefeller Foundation," BJP had said.

Meanwhile, the party on Sunday again posted on X pointing out "connection between the Congress party and George Soros."

"Sonia Gandhi, as the Co-President of the FDL-AP Foundation, is linked to an organisation financed by the George Soros Foundation. Notably, the FDL-AP Foundation has expressed their views that treat Kashmir as a separate entity," it said.