US rejects allegations by BJP, says they are 'disappointing'
The BJP had alleged that that the US state department and ‘deep state’ were colluding with a global network of investigative journalists to destabilise India
New Delhi: The US on Saturday rejected allegations by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that the US state department and “deep state” are colluding with a global network of investigative journalists to destabilise India by targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and business tycoon Gautam Adani.
The BJP had levelled the allegations in a series of posts on X on Thursday, and said that the opposition Congress party and senior leader Rahul Gandhi had used reports by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and other international media outlets to target Modi and Adani. The BJP further alleged the US state department was “behind this agenda” and the “deep state had a clear objective to destabilise India”.
A spokesperson for the US embassy in New Delhi responded to the accusations by saying: “It’s disappointing that the ruling party in India would make these kinds of accusations.”
In an apparent reference to the BJP’s allegation that a report in the Financial Times on Adani and several OCCRP reports on the Adani Group’s ventures in Kenya and Myanmar were funded by the US state department, the spokesperson added, “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 spokesperson further said the US has been a champion of media freedom around the world. “A free and independent press is an essential component of any democracy, enabling informed and constructive debate and holding those in power accountable,” the spokesperson said.
OCCRP
The BJP had contended that the Congress and Gandhi frequently used the OCCRP’s reports to attack the Adani Group and to accuse it of being close to the government.
“It has always been the US State Department behind this agenda...In fact, 50% of OCCRP's funding comes directly from the US State Department,” one of the posts by the BJP on X said.
The OCCRP, based in Amsterdam, is a network of investigative journalists that focuses on reporting on organised crime and corruption. In a statement issued on December 2, OCCRP denied that is influenced by its donors. “OCCRP has no limits on its journalism and no donor influences our reporting,” the statement said.
“As a donor-funded media organisation, OCCRP has built into its editorial process a number of safeguards to ensure that we maintain independence and that our journalists and member centers around the world can pursue stories they think are important and worth telling,” it said.
The BJP’s allegations came at a time when relations between the Indian and US governments have been affected by indictments filed in a US court against a former Indian intelligence operative regarding his alleged role in a plot to kill Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
Last month, US prosecutors charged Adani, 62, his nephew Sagar and other defendants with paying more than $250 million in bribes between 2020 and 2024 to Indian officials to win solar energy contracts.
Following the charges, the Congress demanded an investigation and accused the government of shielding Adani. The Adani Group dismissed the charges as “baseless”.