‘Regime change’? ‘No, game over bro’: Amid Delhi protest, Congress, BJP in war of phrases

A political dispute has erupted after remarks made by lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan at a protest led by the Cockroach Janta Party, the All India Students Association, and the Congress-led INDIA bloc. Bhushan stated that regime change is the driving force behind the protests, which have demanded the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and extended to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The protests have been fueled by an Express investigation into discord in the Election Commission and the SIR process.

The BJP has responded with accusations of foreign interference in the protests, claiming that opposition leaders are funded by foreign powers to destabilize the country. Nitin Nabin, the BJP's party chief, stated that the opposition's fight is not for electoral reforms or the future of the nation's youth, but rather to spread anarchy and seize power at any cost. Nabin accused the opposition of being "Urban Naxals" in a bid to destabilize India.

Senior BJP leaders, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, have echoed Nabin's sentiments, accusing Congress MP Rahul Gandhi of practicing the "politics of disruption" in the name of protecting democracy. The BJP has also targeted the opposition's lack of a majority in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, accusing them of disrespecting the mandate from the election.

Conversely, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera has argued that the opposition's objective is to defeat the government and change the regime by winning elections. He criticized the BJP for hypocrisy in criticizing the Congress for wanting regime change, pointing to the 1977 Lok Sabha election where the Congress was defeated.