A political controversy has erupted after the BJP questioned the Congress over its meeting with a delegation from Progressive International in April 2025, attended by Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.
The row follows a Fox News Digital investigation that identified 101 organisations allegedly involved in coordinating or amplifying protests across different countries. The report examined links between these groups and demonstrations in France, India and other nations, including protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The report is titled "Global 'Chaos Inc.' Grows to 101 Groups With Plans for New Rounds of Demonstrations," and lists Progressive International (PI) as one of the groups working to connect and support movements across borders. The same organisation had met Congress leaders in New Delhi last year.
What The Fox News Investigation Claims
The investigation, published on October 20, said it had identified 101 organisations across multiple countries involved in organising, coordinating, or amplifying demonstrations. It described a network of left-wing, socialist, communist, and other activist groups and examined their links to protests in France and other countries.
The Fox News report also cited an October 16 briefing by Progressive International that grouped protests in France, Spain, India, and Albania, asking how the "new rebellions" could acquire organised political power. PI said it was working to support and connect the forces involved, according to the investigation.
The briefing raised questions about whether these movements could translate into organised political power.
According to the investigation, PI said it was working to bring together and support the forces behind these demonstrations.
The report quoted the organisation as asking whether the “new rebellions can acquire the organised power to change the conditions that produced them?”. It added, “These are the forces that Progressive International is working to support and connect,” referring to the movements involved.
The investigation has now brought renewed attention to the April 2025 meeting between Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and a Progressive International delegation at Sonia Gandhi's residence at 10 Janpath in New Delhi.
BJP's Allegations
The controversy escalated after BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari questioned the Congress over its alleged association with Progressive International.
Bhandari alleged that the Fox News investigation into "Global Chaos Inc" shows Progressive International coordinating protest narratives across France, Albania and India to push for "regime change" through organised rebellion.
"The October 2026 Fox report identifies 101 groups as part of a "red-green" network amplifying unrest, with Progressive International's briefing directly linking protests in those countries and questioning whether they could acquire power to change underlying conditions."
In a post on X, the BJP spokesperson wrote, "Congress must reveal: - Was it coordinating with Progressive International during protest? What was messaging between Congress and this organisation when protests were ongoing? Rahul Gandhi moving to Vietnam – is it related to taking instructions from many such organisations for the November 1 Anarchic protest? Sanjay Raut posting about Albania was not a mere coincidence. Albania is the country mentioned in the report. In India, the regime change attempt, an anarchy attempt through violence on the street, could fail because Indian democracy is protected under PM Modi's government. Congress must answer!"
The BJP also shared images and alleged that foreign organisations were coordinating activities linked to Indian youth protests over electoral issues.
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When did Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi meet the Progressive International delegation?
Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, met a Progressive International delegation on April 28, 2025, according to a PTI report.
The meeting took place at Sonia Gandhi's residence at 10 Janpath in New Delhi and focused on a range of global issues. Media reports published at the time said the discussions centred on global developments and efforts to unite progressive political groups.
The Congress also shared photographs showing the two leaders interacting with representatives of the organisation.
Progressive International was formed in May 2020 with the stated objective of uniting, organising and mobilising progressive forces worldwide.
According to the organisation's website, it has since expanded to include more than 100 organisations representing millions of people across all continents.