George Soros opinionated, dangerous: EAM Jaishankar at Raisina-Sydney Dialogue

Tribune New Service

New Delhi, February 18

Addressing a session with Australian Minister Chris Brown at the Raisina-Sydney Dialogue, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar said billionaire George Soros was “old, rich, opinionated and dangerous, who thinks his views should determine how the entire world works” and that such persons “actually invest in resources in shaping narratives”.

Meddling a worry

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We are a country that went through colonialism, we know the dangers of what happens when there’s outside interference… it worries us. S Jaishankar, EAM

Responding to a question, the EAM said: “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, they will say it is a flawed democracy and the beauty is that all this is done under the pretence of advocacy of open society.

“We are a country that went through colonialism, we know the dangers of what happens when there’s outside interference … it worries us..if you do this kind of scaremongering, millions of people will be deprived of citizenship, it actually does real damage to our societal fabric,’’ he added.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Thursday, Soros had said, “Adani is accused of stock manipulation and his stock collapsed like a house of cards. Modi is silent on the subject, but he will have to answer questions from foreign investors and in Parliament.’’ The EAM said globalisation allowed seamless opportunities, but also allowed narratives to be shaped. He went on to suggest that as against Soros’ typical “Euro Atlantic view”, there was a need for “a debate and conversation that we must have on democracy”, including whose values defined a democracy as the world re-balanced and became less Euro Atlantic.

Yesterday, the BJP fielded minister Smriti Irani to slam Soros’ remarks as “attempts to weaken the democratic processes of India at a time when it was rising” and as a “war on the country”.