Organisers And Organisations: What Rahul Gandhi's US Trip Says About The Congress Of 2023

Mark Twain, the American writer and humorist, quoted that patriotism was supporting one's country all the time and one's government when it deserves it.

Ironical then that Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi on his United States tour has been slamming the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Twain's country.

The opposition leader's visit to the US has been met with a mixture of excitement, curiosity, and scepticism in the US, but back home it has been an educative experience for the billions of Indians who go to polls next May 2024.

Gandhi is in the US on a three-city tour this week, with stops at the Stanford University in California and the National Press Club in Washington DC.

His visit comes on the heels of an electoral victory over the ruling BJP in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. The Congress leader is also riding the momentum of the Bharat Jodo Yatra — a 4,000km (2,485 miles)-long "unity march" he led across India over the course of five months — a feat he has referenced at every meeting.

During his visit, Gandhi has taken shots at the Indian government and criticised Prime Minister Modi. He has wooed the Indian American community, praising them for their work ethic and for their success in Silicon Valley.

Gandhi’s ‘mentor’ Sam Pitroda kicked off a controversy during an event in the US when he delivered disparaging remarks against Lord Ram, the Ram temple being built in Ayodhya and other Hindu deities.

Speaking at a Gandhi event, Sam Pitroda accused the Prime Minister Modi-led Indian government of focussing on religious matters while neglecting issues related to development and the economy.

The Indian media is vigilant and alert to disinformation campaigns disparaging India.

So, the US events too came under scrutiny about their sponsors and coordinators.

What was not surprising was the discovery that certain coordinators affiliated with the New York programme were connected to organisations that serve as fronts for the Jamaat-e-Islami and Muslim Brotherhood.

These coordinators have associated with activists linked to George Soros and have now turned to other organisations such as MCNJ, ICNA, IAMC, and IMANA. These interconnected organisations have a common purpose of undermining India's interests on the international stage.

Rajeev Malhotra, an Indian American author, public intellectual in his books highlights the influence of foreign funding, missionary activities, and Western academic scholarship in promoting separatist movements and identity politics in India.

These interventions distort historical narratives, reinforce negative stereotypes, and undermine the unity of India as a nation, seeking its disintegration.

These interventions aim to weaken the cultural and political unity of India for various reasons, including geopolitical and ideological motives.

Considering this, Gandhi's visit to the US, funded by Islamic radical fronts and organisations associated with Pakistan-based terrorist outfits and their deep state presents a national security threat.

Frank F Islam, a prominent member of the Indian American community and a businessman in the US, hosted former Congress president Gandhi at his residence in Washington during his recent visit.

Islam, who was born in Uttar Pradesh’s Azamgarh, is also a noted philanthropist and an alumnus of Aligarh Muslim University.

Islam is quite influential among the US diaspora's rich and influential and has been raising funds for Democrats for years.

Close to Joe Biden, Islam has roots in Azamgarh, UP and was conferred with the UP Ratna in 2015.

His iconic mansion has history of hosting tycoons, presidents, non-profits, industrialists, etc. Such events are hotspots for side talks for fundraising, powerbrokers, investment and strategies of the type Malhotra talks about.

The 4 June event in New York involved coordination by various individuals, including Tanzeem Ansari, who holds the position of Amir of the outreach committee of the Muslim Community of New Jersey (MCNJ).

The MCNJ is led by Imam Jawad Ahmed, who was born in Pakistan and serves as the project director of the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA).

It is worth noting that the ICNA has been associated with Pakistan's Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) and has been known to align with their viewpoints regarding India, including issues related to Kashmir.

Some critics argue that the ICNA has connections to radical and terrorist organisations.

Additionally, there have been instances where they have expressed support for individuals such as Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin, glorifying his advocacy for the separation of Kashmir from India.

Mohammed Aslam, another coordinator of the event, is a member of the Muslim Centre of Greater Princeton (MCGP), which has close ties to the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA).

It is worth noting that the founder of the banned Indian radical group SIMI is also a member of the ICNA.

Various organisations such as Justice for All, Hindus for Human Rights, Free Kashmir, Save India, and the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) operate under the umbrella of ICNA and Jamaat.

Minhaj Khan, a self-appointed coordinator for the event, has connections with IAMC. The IAMC has been labelled as an anti-India lobbying group that consistently criticises India under the guise of human rights and religious freedom.

There have been allegations that the IAMC shares fake news to incite communal unrest in India.

During the years 2013-14, when the government of Dr Manmohan Singh was in power, the IAMC hired a US lobbying firm and paid them $55,000 to lobby against India at the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).

Rasheed Ahmed, the executive director of the IAMC, is also associated with the Islamic Medical Association of North America (IMANA), which has been accused of exploiting India's goodwill during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Allegations have surfaced claiming that IMANA raised significant funds in the name of assisting India but misappropriated the money.

IMANA has faced accusations of maintaining connections with retired officials from the Pakistani armed forces as well as terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Hizbul Mujahideen, which raises concerns regarding its affiliations.

Organisations such as the IAMC and the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) are positioned at the intersection of Jamaat and the Muslim Brotherhood (MB).

Members of IMANA have also been associated with the MB-affiliated Islamic Society of North America (ISNA).

In 2017, ISNA Canada was implicated by the Canada Revenue Agency for funding the charitable wing of Hizbul Mujahideen.

During his trip to the United States, Gandhi was also seen alongside Sunita Vishwanath, co-founder of an organisation called Hindus for Human Rights, which is labelled as a Hindu rights group and is considered an extension of organisations like the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) and the Organization for Minorities of India (OFMI).

Vishwanath is associated with George Soros and is known for promoting an agenda that pits "Hindu vs. Hindutva."

She has been actively involved in driving the "Dismantle Global Hindutva" campaign, both in Afghanistan and the United States.

Vishwanath has connections with organisations that have received funding from Soros, such as Women for Afghan Women (WAW).

Notably, she has also served as the ex-associate director of Soros Reproductive Health & Rights Fellowship.

It has been alleged that Soros has committed $1 billion to interfere in India's internal affairs through various channels, including opposition leaders, think tanks, journalists, lawyers and activists.

With the above media investigative journalism inputs, it is clear Rahul Gandhi is being promoted by people generously described as 'regime-change-operators'. The question is will he course correct in time?