The BJP on Friday, October 16, accused the Congress and its allies of using the protests against the Election Commission to seek regime change in India. The charge gained weight after remarks by AISA president Neha Bora and senior advocate Prashant Bhushan.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told a press conference in Lucknow that attempts were being made to use the nation’s youth as pawns in a politics of chaos. He said some people were seeking regime change on the Bangladesh model and openly said they drew inspiration from it. Others, he said, were calling for the government to be toppled. Uttar Pradesh BJP president Pankaj Chaudhary alleged a conspiracy to destabilise the country and alter constitutional bodies. He said the INDIA bloc was using the protests over electoral reform as a pretext.
The row began on Wednesday, October 14. A video went viral showing All India Students’ Association (AISA) president Neha Bora praising the youth movement in Bangladesh that toppled the Hasina government. She said Indian youth should learn from it. BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari shared the clip. He called her Rahul Gandhi’s “poster girl” and said it showed the real aim was regime change.
On Thursday, October 15, Bhushan held a press conference with Bora and Cockroach Janta Party leader Abhijeet Dipke. He said the Opposition did want regime change. “Yes, we all want regime change. What is wrong with that?” he said. He said the BJP had led several movements to change governments in the past. He added that if the brutality continued, there would certainly be regime change.
BJP MP Sambit Patra said Bhushan had admitted the aim of the struggle. He alleged the Opposition wanted to take power without contesting an election.
The protests are against the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. They demand the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Opposition leaders say the campaign is about alleged electoral malpractice and voters’ rights.