The political storm surrounding Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros took a new turn on Friday as Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri issued a sharp rebuttal to Congress MP Shashi Tharoor’s recent claims. Tharoor had mentioned meeting Soros at Puri’s New York residence while Puri was serving as India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
Puri clarified the context of the meeting, stating that he hosted a dinner on October 12, 2009, and that the guest list, which included Soros, was prepared by Tharoor. “Tharoor had arrived in New York as MoS External Affairs shortly after I was posted as India’s Ambassador & Permanent Representative at the UN. I hosted him and his companion at a briefing breakfast on 11 October 2009 and then for dinner on the evening of 12 October 2009,” Puri wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Addressing the inclusion of Soros on the list, Puri said he specifically brought up the name with Tharoor, who had previously met the billionaire in May 2009 and even tweeted about it. “That is the only time in my life I met Mr. Soros,” Puri added.
The Union minister revealed that he had tried contacting Tharoor after the latter’s December 15 social media post but received no response. “Normally, he is very prompt, but this time he didn’t take my call,” Puri remarked.
He further alleged that Soros’ inclusion on the guest list stemmed from his association with the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, where he was a benefactor, and that Tharoor was keen on meeting him.
This controversy adds to the growing debate around Soros, whose name has been at the center of political discussions in recent months. Both Tharoor and Puri have yet to issue further clarifications on the matter.