The BJP came out all guns firing on Friday at the Congress and its allies and the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), accusing them of seeking a regime change along the lines of Bangladesh and using the energy of youth to spread “anarchy,” and “destabilising the country in collusion with foreign powers.”
Levelling these charges, the ruling party also said that democracy does not give anyone the licence to create disorder or undermine the credibility of constitutional institutions. The BJP had never questioned constitutional institutions or the country’s electoral system, and it accused the Congress of misleading people by raising doubts about them.
The sharp retort came a day after noted lawyer Prashant Bhushan, along with CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke, addressed a news conference in New Delhi on Thursday and said spreading “disaffection” against a Government is not a crime in a democracy, and that the struggle is now “really for a regime change”.
“The Government alleges that the Opposition wants a regime change... We are currently fighting to ensure that elections are conducted properly. But if this kind of brutality continues, there will certainly be a regime change,” he had said.
Firing the first salvo on Friday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh lashed out at the Congress and its allies over the protests in the national Capital and said, “It appears that the Congress and its political allies, directly and through their supporting organisations, are trying to use the energy of the youth to fuel political confrontation and spread anarchy instead of channelling it towards constructive work and nation-building.” He also said, “The youth of the country are being made pawns in the politics of anarchy.”
Addressing a press conference in Lucknow, Rajnath Singh alleged that the Congress and its allies want to change the government in India along the lines of Bangladesh.
“They openly say at press conferences that they have drawn inspiration from Bangladesh for regime change, while another speaks openly about bringing down the government.
BJP alleges Opposition seeks Bangladesh-style regime change
This makes it clear that their only agenda is to dismantle democratic institutions and set the country on fire,” he said. Referring to the 2024 events in Bangladesh that toppled the Sheikh Hasina Government.
The Defence Minister said Mahatma Gandhi had suspended the entire non-cooperation movement following the violence at Chauri Chaura.
However, the Congress, which claims to be Gandhi’s political heir, wants to “avenge” its electoral defeats by talking about changing the Government through “violence and anarchy”, he said, calling it “the height of the decline in the Congress’ moral values”.
“The Congress wants to push the country into the fire of violence and anarchy and is dreaming of creating a situation similar to Bangladesh. In view of this, I can say that the Congress has completely lost the moral right to use Gandhi’s name,” Rajnath Singh said.
Rajnath Singh said the use of terms such as “regime change” showed that the opposition’s campaign was not about electoral reforms or issues related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
His remarks come amid massive protests in the national capital by opposition parties and civil society groups demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the SIR process.
Referring to the Supreme Court’s observations on pleas related to the SIR issue on Thursday, Rajnath Singh said Rahul Gandhi and his allies need to understand that democracy does not permit attempts to create anarchy, undermine constitutional institutions or obstruct India’s development.
“Respecting the law is also essential to maintaining law and order. India’s democratic institutions cannot be sacrificed at the altar of political self-interest,” he said.
He advised Rahul Gandhi to respect the people’s mandate and introspect on his political role instead of pursuing what he called “politics of destruction” in the name of protecting democracy.
The Defence Minister also questioned the Congress’ allegations of vote theft, saying the party had failed to win a majority on its own for decades. He said the Congress last formed a Government in Uttar Pradesh in 1985.
Referring to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination, Singh questioned the Congress over the postponement of elections across the country following the incident.
He said the death of a candidate normally leads to the postponement of polling only in the constituency concerned, and claimed that the Amethi election had already been held when the decision to defer elections nationwide was taken.
BJP national president Nitin Nabin said the Opposition’s use of terms like “regime change” clearly exposes their agenda of “destabilising the country in collusion with foreign powers”.
In a Hindi social media post, Nabin alleged that the opposition’s fight is not for electoral reforms, the Special Intensive Revision, or the future of the country’s youth, but to spread anarchy and “seize power” at any cost.
“The use of terms like ‘regime change’ has clearly exposed the true agenda of the opposition before the country. This nefarious attempt to destabilise India in collusion with foreign powers is part of the agenda of urban naxals,” Nabin said.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said battle lines have been drawn between “dimagi Naxals” and patriotic Indians, and exhorted people to remember the “traitors”.
“The battle line has been drawn. It is Dimagi Naxals vs Patriotic Indians. Between those who believe in the Constitution of India vs Anarchists,” the Union Minister said in a social media post.
“Dear Patriotic Indians... Remember: Forgive your Enemies once, Friends twice, but never Traitors,” Rijiju said in another post.
He posted two video clips of Bhushan on social media with the caption, “They want to separate Kashmir and North East from India and break India.” The senior BJP leader posted a recent picture of Bhushan with the Congress leader and others.