New Delhi, 15 October (H.S.): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of attempting to create an atmosphere of anarchy in the country and destabilise the entire system under the guise of “political resistance”.

Addressing reporters at the BJP’s central office, party national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari questioned Gandhi’s political strategy, citing statements attributed to Neha Bora and advocate Prashant Bhushan. Pradeep Bhandari characterised the ongoing Congress-led agitation as a confrontation between the people of India and the country’s democratic institutions on one side, and Rahul Gandhi and his political ecosystem on the other. He alleged that the objective of the Congress and associated political groups was not democratic dissent but the destabilisation of the country’s entire governance system.

Pradeep Bhandari said Gandhi had repeatedly used the term “political resistance” over the past few days. While acknowledging that political opposition was an integral part of democracy, he argued that using it as a pretext to promote anarchy was unacceptable. He alleged that Gandhi and his political ecosystem were seeking to weaken India’s democratic institutions.

Referring to Neha Bora, Pradeep Bhandari said Gandhi had presented her as his “poster girl”. He claimed that, in an interview, Bora had spoken about being inspired by the movement in Bangladesh and expressed a desire to see a similar situation unfold in India.

On the basis of these reported remarks, Pradeep Bhandari questioned whether Gandhi agreed with Bora’s views. He demanded that, if Gandhi did not endorse such ideas, he should publicly clarify his position and distance himself from her statements.

Referring to the political situation in Bangladesh, Pradeep Bhandari alleged that attempts were being made to create a similar situation in India, where protests had called for changes to the existing political order. However, he presented no independent evidence during his media interaction to substantiate his allegation of a coordinated conspiracy to destabilise India.

Pradeep Bhandari also referred to a social media post by advocate Prashant Bhushan. He claimed that Bhushan had made remarks in the post concerning revolution and bloodshed, and that Gandhi had held a joint press conference with him approximately 24 hours later.

Linking the two developments, the BJP spokesperson alleged that they indicated an attempt to legitimise anarchy in the name of political resistance. He maintained that democratic systems guaranteed the right to dissent and protest, but insisted that political activities should not be aimed at encouraging violence or disorder.

Pradeep Bhandari said the people of India had expressed their political preferences through voting in various elections. He referred to elections conducted using both ballot papers and electronic voting machines (EVMs), as well as by-elections and student elections.

He claimed that the public and young people were unwilling to accept a form of politics that, in his view, could push the country towards anarchy. According to Bhandari, public support and the electoral process remained the legitimate means of attaining political power in a democracy.

The BJP spokesperson called on Rahul Gandhi to respond immediately to the statements attributed to Neha Bora. He said that if Gandhi’s political approach was not intended to promote anarchy, he should clearly state his position on the matter.

The allegations and interpretations presented by Pradeep Bhandari reflect the BJP’s position. The report does not independently establish that Rahul Gandhi or the individuals mentioned were involved in any coordinated effort to destabilise the country.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar