Khurshid Hits Back at BJP Over Bharat Summit 2026 International Ties

Salman Khurshid defends the Bharat Summit 2026 as a platform for global exchange, while BJP's Sudhanshu Trivedi slams the Congress for hosting international figures allegedly linked to controversial networks like George Soros's Open Society.

Salman Khurshid Defends Bharat Summit 2026

Congress leader Salman Khurshid on Saturday defended the participation of progressive organisations and international delegates at the Bharat Summit 2026, saying the platform facilitates an open exchange of ideas and experiences from different regions and countries. Speaking to ANI, Khurshid said participants openly discuss ground realities and share their experiences, including both positive and negative aspects, to understand the lessons that can be applied to their own work and struggles.

"We engage with progressive organisations—transparently and openly. We discuss the ground realities—the actual, lived truths—and individuals share their own experiences. People have presented insights from their respective regions and countries—encompassing the good and the bad, the pleasant and the unpleasant—and we explore how we might learn from these experiences," he said.

"We examine which lessons can inform our own work and struggles, and which pitfalls we might avoid by understanding the experiences of others. This is why an exchange takes place—an exchange of ideas... Are we acting like a censorship board—interrogating visitors, demanding to know what they intend to say, and conditioning the issuance of a visa on the content of their speech?" he added.

Earlier in the day, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi slammed the Congress party and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi over Bharat Summit 2026 in Hyderabad, demanding an explanation for inviting international figures linked to organisations funded by George Soros’s Open Society network and Amnesty International.

In a post on X, Trivedi questioned the intent behind the conclave. He asked whether the summit was genuinely a forum for constructive dialogue or an effort to create an international platform to amplify anti-India narratives. "Congress and Rahul Gandhi have to give an answer to the nation," Trivedi stated, alleging that the presence of certain foreign participants and international networks on a Congress-backed political stage raises deep suspicions about a broader agenda.

"Why is Congress bringing such individuals and international networks onto its political platform? This creates deep suspicion about a larger agenda. So the onus of an unequivocal answer is on Congress." The Bharat Summit 2026 has brought together approximately 1,000 delegates, policymakers and thinkers from 70 countries to deliberate on global geopolitics, democracy, climate change, artificial intelligence and progressive politics.