The Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out searches at the Bengaluru offices of Open Society Foundations (OSF), an organisation backed by US billionaire George Soros, as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged foreign exchange violations under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).
According to official sources, the searches were conducted at OSF premises and certain international human rights organisations linked to it.
Authorities suspect that the case involves alleged foreign direct investment (FDI) routed through OSF and its subsequent utilisation in ways that may have breached FEMA regulations.
In addition to OSF, the ED reportedly searched offices and residences of former employees of Amnesty International India, which ceased operations in December 2020 after the government froze its bank accounts over allegations of receiving illegal foreign funds.
The premises of Human Rights Watch (HRW) employees were also searched. Both Amnesty International and HRW are said to have received funding from OSF in the past.
Amnesty International India has previously faced legal action, with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filing a charge sheet against it, and the ED lodging a complaint over alleged financial irregularities.
In 2022, Amnesty’s India chief, Aakar Patel, was fined ₹10 crore, while the organisation itself was fined ₹51.72 crore for violating foreign exchange laws under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).
OSF’s India Operations and Government Scrutiny
Open Society Foundations, which began its India operations in 1999, has not yet issued a response to the latest ED searches.
The organisation has been under scrutiny since 2016 when the Union Home Ministry placed it on a ‘watchlist,’ requiring government approval for funding Indian non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The move was later challenged in the Delhi High Court, where the matter remains pending.
BJP’s Allegations Against Soros-Linked Organisations
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has repeatedly accused organisations linked to George Soros of acting against India's interests.
The party claims that various foundations and think tanks funded by OSF, including the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), publish reports critical of India, which are then amplified by opposition parties such as the Congress.
These allegations gained momentum in December when BJP leaders, including party president JP Nadda, accused Congress of ties to Soros-linked entities.
A particular point of contention was the alleged connection between Sonia Gandhi and the Soros-funded Forum of the Democratic Leaders in Asia Pacific Foundation, where she serves as co-president.
The controversy escalated when BJP leaders accused Rahul Gandhi of conspiring with foreign agencies to destabilise India. This led to heated political exchanges, with some BJP figures even calling for Sonia Gandhi to be charged under anti-terror laws.
Congress dismissed these allegations as baseless, countering that the BJP was using such claims to divert public attention from pressing issues, including the fallout of the Hindenburg report.
The row further intensified during Parliament sessions, with both parties engaging in fierce debates over the matter.
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