BJP accuses US State Department of attempting to destabilise India
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused the US State Department and "deep state" elements within the US of attempting to destabilise India in collaboration with investigative journalists and opposition leader Rahul Gandhi. This allegation comes as a surprise given the strong ties New Delhi and Washington have developed over the past two decades, with both countries expressing a commitment to further strengthening their relationship despite certain differences.
The BJP claims that Gandhi's Congress party is using reports from the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), which has focussed on the Adani Group's alleged connections with the Indian government, to undermine Prime Minister Narendra Modi. OCCRP's articles have also accused Indian state-sponsored hackers of using Pegasus spyware to target government critics, a claim the Indian government has denied.
The BJP's accusations were based on a French media report that suggested OCCRP receives significant funding from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and other "deep state" figures like financier George Soros. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra reinforced the claims during a media briefing, alleging that OCCRP serves as a tool for advancing a destabilisation agenda orchestrated by the US State Department.
A spokesperson for the US State Department responded, stating that while the US government supports the professional development of journalists, it does not influence editorial decisions of funded organisations. OCCRP, in turn, denied the accusations, maintaining its editorial independence.
The BJP's criticism comes amid ongoing scrutiny over the US indictment of Gautam Adani and his alleged ties with the Indian government, which has led to significant political debate within India. Both Adani and the ruling party have denied any wrongdoing.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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IPL band guitarist’s ID allegedly misused for black marketing of tickets in Bengaluru
Bengaluru: A musician who performed at Indian Premier League (IPL) matches in the city has found himself caught in a legal issue after his official ID card was allegedly misused for black marketing of match tickets.
The complainant, Hemanth KB, is a guitarist with the band ‘Sakkare Mitaayi’, which had earlier performed during Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) home matches at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. The band had been issued official ID cards by event partner DNA Entertainment for entry to the venue.
According to a report by Deccan Herald, the issue began on March 28 when Hemanth shared photos from the event on Instagram, inadvertently displaying the front side of his ID card.
On April 6, the band’s drummer Pruthvi reportedly received a call from organisers stating that the ID card had surfaced in a black ticket racket. The callers alleged that tickets were being sold illegally using the musician’s ID credentials and asked him to report to officials.
Following this, the guitarist approached the police. During the preliminary inquiry, it was found that an unidentified person had used his ID details to collect ₹4,875 through UPI from buyers. Police said they have traced the transaction to a mobile number linked to the suspect.
Hemanth has denied any involvement in the racket and told police that he had no knowledge of how his identity was misused. He has since deleted the social media post that showed his ID card.
A case has been registered at the Cubbon Park Police Station, and further investigation is underway to identify the person responsible for the fraud.
