Speaking at a press conference held in Lucknow on Friday (October 16), he claimed that this movement is not about electoral reforms or against the Chief Election Commissioner; rather, it is merely an attempt to seize power through violence by making the young generation pawns of anarchist politics.
Targeting the opposition, Rajnath Singh said, 'Attempts are being made to use the country's youth as pawns in anarchist politics. Efforts are underway here too, like in Bangladesh, to bring about a change of power through uprisings on the streets.' He alleged that some of the protesters are openly claiming they have taken guidance and inspiration from Bangladesh to change the government, while others are taking to the streets to talk about overthrowing a democratic government through an uprising. He remarked that their only goal through this is to destroy democratic institutions and create extreme anarchy in the country.
Cracking down hard on Congress, the Indian Defense Minister further stated that the party's leaders have lost all moral right to use the traditional 'Gandhi' name. He claimed that the terminology used by Congress and its allies, such as 'regime change', proves that their fight is not for transparency in the electoral process. Their main agenda is to dismantle the basic structure of the constitution and systematically create instability in the country.
Meanwhile, the controversy intensified further after pro-BJP media outlets in India published an undated video interview of an activist named Neha Bora. In the 39-second video shared by BJP leaders, Neha Bora is heard saying, 'The movement of Gen-Zs that we are seeing in every nook and cranny of this country first started in Bangladesh. Congratulations to you for showing us the way and for expressing solidarity with the youth of this country.'
In the video, she also mentioned that the protest ongoing against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar is essentially a fight to restore voting rights; a democratic struggle similar to Bangladesh's recent movement. However, no independent information is yet available regarding the time of filming and authenticity of that video broadcasted in pro-BJP media or social media.
