'Regime change' row escalates: Rajnath Singh accuses opposition of plotting anarchy

Defence Minister and senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh has lashed out at the opposition and its ongoing protests, stating the Congress and its allies want to bring about regime change on the lines of Bangladesh. Singh, during his visit to Uttar Pradesh, said the sole agenda is to destroy democratic institutions and set the country on fire.

Singh’s reaction comes as the BJP intensifies its attack on the CJP and the opposition, stating their real objective was regime change. On Thursday, senior Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan called for a regime change. At a press meet held in Delhi with CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and leaders of student organisations and activists, Bhushan also said spreading "disaffection" against a government is not a crime in a democracy, adding that the struggle is now "really for a regime change".

"The government alleges 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 regime change. "Yes, we all want regime change," he said.

However, Dipke, in a hastily called press meet at night, cleared the air, insisting that the CJP’s fight was for the removal of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and not regime change. "We are just saying that remove Gyanesh Kumar and appoint a new election commissioner in an independent, unbiased manner. We are not saying we want a regime change. We are just saying that remove Gyanesh Kumar, who is not even listening to his fellow election commissioners. Is this a crime?" he asked.

Rajnath, however, reiterated that the sole agenda of the protest is to dismantle democratic institutions. “Attempts are being made to use the nation's youth as pawns in a politics of chaos. Some seek a regime change—modelled after the events in Bangladesh—openly admitting that they drew inspiration from the situation in Bangladesh. Others are brazenly call for the toppling of the government. This makes it clear that their sole agenda is to dismantle democratic institutions and set the country ablaze. Their struggle is not for electoral reform, nor is it about SIR or Gyanesh Kumar; it is not for the sake of a bright future for the nation's youth—rather, it is a conspiracy to seize power by inciting anarchy in the country,” he lashed out.  

On Thursday too, the BJP spokesperson had stated that SIR was just a smokescreen for Rahul Gandhi and his real agenda was to derail Indian democracy.

"Prashant Bhushan spoke about bloodshed, Neha Bora talks about Bangladesh. It shows that for Rahul Gandhi and his ecosystem, the SIR process was just a smoke screen. Their ulterior motive and anarchic agenda have always been to derail Indian democracy and seize power undemocratically," BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan told NDTV.

He added that Rahul Gandhi was not fit to be Leader of Opposition. "The reckless and unpatriotic Rahul Gandhi is a threat to national unity, and he is unfit to continue as LOP," Kesavan posted on X.