An extremely worrying investigation has come to light on the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), specifically about its links with the American deep state. OCCRP is relevant to India because of the reporting it has done on India, thus providing enough ammunition to the Congress party to take on the Narendra Modi government, specifically on the issue of an industrialist. It is this matter that the Congress has been using to stall Parliament over different sessions, including the ongoing winter session. What is worrying is that this body of investigative journalists—the world’s largest—has been operating under the cover of independent and impartial journalism, thus covering themselves with a “holier-than-thou” shroud, whose words should not be doubted. But the truth is, all the while they have been serving the agenda of US agencies. Described as a “giant of investigative journalism”, OCCRP in its own words “is one of the largest investigative journalism organizations in the world, headquartered in Amsterdam and with staff across six continents.” OCCRP claims to be “a mission-driven nonprofit newsroom that partners with other media outlets to publish stories that lead to real-world action. At the same time, our media development arm helps investigative outlets around the world succeed and serve the public.” All very noble. There are media outlets in India who too have been collaborating with this organisation and have been publishing their work. Some of the exposés OCCRP has done include “the Pandora papers”, “the Panama papers”, a few on Vladimir Putin’s “evil deeds” and of course “Pegasus”, the spy software issue that rocked the Indian Parliament, apart from two pieces attacking the Indian industrialist. Although claiming to be an independent non-profit NGO, it is now apparent that OCCRP has received huge funding from US government agencies, many of whom are known to be involved in government-change operations in foreign countries. Essentially, OCCRP is an American deep state asset. Now that this link has been exposed, it is but natural that all the reports that they have done will come under the cloud and will give rise to questions on the ways in which OCCRP has facilitated the US agenda. In fact, the investigative report on OCCRP claims that the so-called NGO, through its investigation, facilitates the imposition of US sanctions on different entities—the several anti-Putin reports done by them being a case in point.
There are also allegations that the OCCRP has received funding from the George Soros-backed Open Society Foundation (OSF). Soros’ hatred for Prime Minister Narendra Modi is well known. What is also well known is that he had earmarked $1 billion to fund government change operations in India. Given the negative coverage of India and Prime Minister Modi by the western mainstream media, and the constant campaign of calumny by western activists and “democracy” foundations, the question is bound to rise about the involvement of Soros and US agencies in such operations. What is even more problematic is that there are allegations that Rahul Gandhi has been working with Soros’ people to destabilise the incumbent government in India. Whether this is true or not, the fact is that the Congress under Rahul Gandhi has been picking up the issues peddled by OCCRP. This is bound to raise questions if some of the Congress’ actions have been dictated by the American deep state. India’s grand old party needs to come clean on this and nip all such claims in the bud. This is serious because it amounts to foreign interference in a sovereign country’s internal affairs. It is hoped for Congress’ sake that the party has not played into the hands of external forces in its desperate attempt to return to power and that all such claims being made about Rahul Gandhi and his party are false.
