‘Our recollections differ’: Shashi Tharoor, Hardeep Puri in war of words over 2009 dinner with George Soros in US | India News

Hardeep Puri and Shashi Tharoor (File photo)

NEW DELHI: Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor locked horns over a 2009 dinner in New York hosted by Puri, where US billionaire George Soros was among the attendees. The spat began after BJP leaders cited Tharoor’s past interactions with Soros to allege links between the Congress and Soros.
Puri, who was India’s ambassador to the UN at that time, hit back at Tharoor, then minister of state for external affairs, on X, saying that it was Tharoor who provided the list of invitees for the dinner, which included Soros. “In retrospect, it is clear the name was included because the gentleman in question was among the benefactors of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, and the minister of state was keen to meet him,” Puri wrote.
He also added that Tharoor had previously met Soros in May 2009 and tweeted about the interaction. “Language has frequently been accorded pride of place amongst the arts of deception. Some of my friends in the Congress Party excel in obfuscation; but they tweet at their own peril,” Puri said, taking a dig at Tharoor.

“Since I was just a few months old in the city then, but Dr Tharoor had spent considerable time in New York, I did not choose the list of invitees for the dinner. It was given to me by minister Tharoor,” the Union minister added.
Tharoor on Saturday responded on X, disputing Puri’s account and accusing the BJP of exaggeration. “Our recollections differ, dear Hardeep,” he wrote. “There were several guests present at your well-attended dinner whom I had never met before. But I see no reason for either of us to disavow our contacts with anyone at earlier stages of our lives in New York or Geneva.”

Tharoor also refuted Puri’s implication of Soros’s ties to any Indian foundation. “I was completely unaware of any Mr Soros having any connection to any foundation in India — and have never discussed it with him either,” he said. Instead, Tharoor recalled Soros expressing criticism of India’s stance on global warming at the dinner.
The controversy arose after a BJP worker highlighted a 2009 tweet in which Tharoor referred to Soros as an “old friend” and praised his interest in India. In response, Tharoor clarified that he met Soros socially and had no ongoing relationship with him.
In his post on X, Tharoor said that the meeting took place at a formal dinner hosted by Puri during his visit to New York. “Ambassador Puri had invited a number of prominent Americans for a dinner discussion with me, and that was entirely appropriate,” Tharoor wrote. He emphasised that he had not been in contact with Soros since the event and denied ever seeking or receiving funds from him or his foundations.

BJP’s annoyance with Soros, who has made no secret of his dislike for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and has included him in the list of targets, which also include US President-elect Donald Trump, is not new. It has also accused him of working in league with Congress.
The BJP has accused the Congress party of collaborating with George Soros, a billionaire investor, and his affiliated organisations to spread misinformation and disrupt Parliament. The BJP cites French media outlet Mediapart’s claims about Soros’s funding of Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and its alleged ties to the US government as evidence.