BJP Accuses Rahul Gandhi, Kejriwal Of Bid To Destabilise India
BJP leaders accused Opposition figures of attempting to destabilise India amid protests over electoral roll revision, while Congress and AAP alleged suppression of democratic rights.
A political confrontation erupted on Saturday over the detention of protesters in Delhi, with BJP president Nitin Nabin accusing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal and the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) of attempting to destabilise the country with the support of foreign forces. The Opposition hit back, accusing the Narendra Modi government of suppressing democratic rights.
Nabin alleged that the Congress-led I.N.D.I.A. bloc and the CJP, which he described as an associate of Kejriwal, were attempting to create anarchy because they could not accept the country's progress under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Speaking to reporters, the BJP president claimed that the two groups were competing to establish themselves as the greater anarchists and warned that the government would deal firmly with attempts to create unrest.
He alleged that the Opposition leaders were acting in collusion with foreign forces to undermine India's economic progress and fulfil their political ambitions. He said BJP workers would counter their attempts on the ground.
The remarks came amid widespread detentions ahead of a protest at Jantar Mantar demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over allegations of irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls.
Hitting back, Gandhi accused the government of attacking constitutional rights and urged young people to continue their protests.
Speaking at his Chhatron Ki Goonj event in Chennai, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha said he stood with the protesting youth and would continue his fight against the BJP and RSS.
He claimed that Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval were increasingly coming under pressure.
Mr Gandhi asserted that Mr Kumar and the Modi government would eventually have to go, after which the process of restoring democracy could begin.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge condemned the detentions and accused the government of turning the country from the "mother of democracy" into a "muzzled democracy".
In a post on X, Kharge alleged that students, lawyers, journalists, social activists, farmers' leaders and content creators questioning the government were being detained.
He said arrests, police action and imprisonment would not deter the Opposition from challenging the government.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also criticised the police action, alleging that the government had imposed severe restrictions across the national capital to prevent peaceful demonstrations.
She accused the authorities of detaining Opposition MPs and protesters, restricting Metro and train services, blocking roads and suspending internet connectivity in parts of Delhi.
Vadra alleged that the crackdown reflected the government's fear of accountability over allegations of electoral irregularities.
AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, who was also detained, described the police action as worse than the Emergency.
In a post on X before his detention, Kejriwal accused the government of attempting to silence those questioning the electoral process. He demanded the resignation of both Kumar and Modi.
Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra accused Gandhi of encouraging unrest in collaboration with foreign forces. He claimed that the protest, intended to bring the national capital to a standstill, had failed to achieve its objective.
The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) also questioned the funding of the protest. Its national spokesperson Vinod Bansal alleged that large sums of money were being spent on organising the demonstrations and sought an investigation into those financing them.
The allegations of foreign involvement and funding were not accompanied by publicly verified evidence.
The protests, organised by the CJP and other groups, followed allegations of irregularities in the special intensive revision of electoral rolls. The Election Commission has denied allegations of partisan manipulation.