BJP Alleges Foreign Hand In Cong. Protests
The Fox News report identified 101 organisations involved in organising, coordinating or amplifying protests internationally: Reports
NEW DELHI: The BJP on Thursday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of plotting to create anarchy and bring about regime change in India with the support of foreign organisations, calling him a "gaddar" (traitor). The Congress hit back, accusing the ruling party of spreading lies out of "desperation and nervousness" over protests against alleged vote theft.
Citing a Fox News investigative report on links between protests in France and other countries, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia alleged that foreign organisations were coordinating activities aimed at destabilising elected governments.
"Rahul 'gaddar'," Bhatia said at a press conference, likening the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha to Mir Jafar.
The Fox News report identified 101 organisations involved in organising, coordinating or amplifying protests internationally. It referred to Progressive International (PI), a transnational left-wing network, and Indian Alliance Paris, a France-based organisation, in connection with messaging surrounding protests in different countries.
Bhatia alleged that Gandhi and Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi had met representatives of Progressive International at 10 Janpath in April 2025.
Displaying photographs of the meeting, he claimed that Gandhi had subsequently intensified protests over alleged vote theft as part of a strategy to undermine constitutional institutions.
BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari alleged that the Congress was acting at the behest of foreign anti-democratic forces and questioned whether Gandhi's foreign visits were connected to plans for the November 1 protest.
BJP MP Nishikant Dubey also accused Gandhi of maintaining links with foreign organisations and questioned whether the protests were being organised under their influence.
The media report, however, did not establish that Gandhi or the Congress had orchestrated protests in India at the direction of foreign organisations.
Rejecting the allegations, the Congress accused the BJP of attempting to divert attention from growing public anger over alleged irregularities in electoral rolls.
Former Jharkhand Congress president Rajesh Thakur questioned why the government had failed to act if the BJP's allegations were true.
"If the allegations being levelled by the BJP MP are true, then my question is — What is your government doing?" he asked.
The exchange comes amid continuing Opposition protests demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in electoral roll revision.